The Author – Page 117 – SCOTTISH DISTANCE RUNNING HISTORY

The 1989 Solo JOGLE

Posted on September 21, 2015 by The Author

Donald in the 1984 Two Bridges

The seed of the ambition to run from the most Northerly point on the island of Great Britain, John O’Groats, to the Southern extremity, Land’s End, was sown in my mind many years ago. On long Sunday runs in the late 60’s with Alistair Wood and Steve Taylor, we used to periodically discuss the possibility of an “end to end” relay run. Enthusiasm for the relay grew, and in April 1972 I was part of the eight man Aberdeen A.A.C. team which completed the John O’Groats to Land’s End (J.O.G.L.E.) run, estimated at 867 miles, in 80 hours, 25 minutes, some 45 minutes outside the record set by Reading A.C. in1967. Using the experience gained, Aberdeen A.A.C. improved on Reading’s record by 23 minutes, the following April, but I was not able to participate in this “adventure”. The idea lived on, and in April 1982 I was part of a very strong Aberdeen A.A.C. team, which reduced the record to: 77 hours, 26 minutes and 18 seconds.

Since then the idea of a solo run grew steadily stronger, until in June 1986, I decided to plan an attempt during our two-week Easter Holidays from School and College in 1987. Both of my parents had died of cancer: my father in 1985, and my mother in 1986, so the time seemed right to attempt the run, and raise funds for cancer research, through sponsorship. After months of planning, my attempt began at 7.00am on the 5^th April at Land’s End. I had decided to start there, to make use of the prevailing wind, which in April is from the West, and the “homing pigeon” effect. My support team consisted of: Graham Milne, co-ordinator for the run, Peter Chalmers, in charge of navigation, Mike Francis, who looked after my requirements on the road, and Malcolm Morgan, (magic Morgan), the head physiotherapist from Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.

I set a schedule for ten days, and my strategy was to run for one hour, and then walk for five minutes, before running another hour, continuing in this fashion until 1.00pm, when I would take a break of one hour. The afternoon and early evening would be similar. On the first day I finished in the town of Lifton, having covered 83 miles in 12 hours, 44 minutes of running and walking.

Next morning I set off in pouring rain which was miserable. Mike and I got lost in Taunton, which wasted time and energy. I ended the day in Bridgwater, having covered 80 miles, plus 1 mile in the wrong direction. Day three started well; the sun was shining, the road was flat for about 16 miles, and I felt quite good. However many miles later in the early evening between Monmouth and Hereford my attempt floundered. I was running down a steep hill before St. Weonards when suddenly a severe pain developed in my lower left leg, making further running impossible. Treatment from Malcolm that evening proved ineffective. Next day was a miserable experience; walking, or rather, limping along at less than 4 miles per hour. At Hope under Dinmore, which I reached in the late afternoon I abandoned the attempt, after consultation with Malcolm, who could see no chance of the injury improving. Later the injury was diagnosed as a stress fracture in tibia.

I made a complete recovery from this, and wanted to try the J.O.G.L.E. run again. However, before committing myself, I wanted to give my leg a good test, so I accepted the invitation to run in the Cagliari to Sassari race of 254Km in Sardinia, on 17^th October. I completed the run in 25hr 28min 51s, with no leg problems, apart from the normal one of not being able to move them quickly enough.

Having passed this test I decided to make a second attempt, starting on the 11^th of July from Land’s End. Everything was set up for the attempt, so it was a bitter blow to all involved when the attempt had to be postponed on the of 19^th June. On this day, soon after the start of a 100Km race in Lincoln, I collided with another runner and fell very badly, onto the pavement. I fractured my left patella, and had to endure the next three and a half weeks with my left leg in plaster, from groin to ankle. Following the plaster removal, after daily physiotherapy and muscle strengthening exercises, I regained full bending movement in my knee, but my leg looked rather like a stork’s. I was able to start jogging on 7^th August, and progressed to full training by 12^th September. I wanted to test my knee to see if I could contemplate another J.O.G.L.E. run the following Easter. I ran the Black Isle marathon on 29^th September in 2-34-56 with no ill effects, except increased discomfort and ache in my knee for a few hours after the race. Then on 19/20^th November I ran in the indoor (200m track) 24hr race in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, and managed 144miles 1009yds. My knee was no problem during the run, but did swell with fluid for a few days after.

I decided that I was sound enough to plan another attempt for 1989, again in our two-week Easter Holidays from School and College; this time I planned to go from John O’Groats. My reasoning was; it is much easier to get to John O’Groats from Lossiemouth, my home, and in the event of my knee giving out, which I thought might happen after three days if at all, it would not be so far to get home. There was, however, more likelihood of head winds going this way. I set up the attempt to begin on the first of April at 12noon (no longer an April fool), which was the first day of our two weeks Easter holiday from School and College. My support team consisted of: Isobel, my wife, Donald Gunn and Mike Francis, both team mates from Forres Harriers, George Stewart, plus Claire and Anna, our family. Isobel assisted by George was to tow our caravan, provide meals, wash kit, and make a video record of parts of the run when she got a chance. Mike took responsibility for route finding and keeping the logbook, while Donald was to administer massage after each running session. They would also both collect names and addresses for the witness book, as required by the Guinness Book of Records, should I break the record, as planned.

As on my previous attempt I decided to use my run to raise funds for the Cancer Research Campaign. Sponsor forms were distributed to Lossiemouth High School by; Izzy, to Moray College by me and others given to family and running pals to elicit donations.

On my first attempt two years earlier the ‘confirmed’ record for the end-to-end was 12 days 1 hour and 59 minutes, by Ken Craig, a Scot living in South Africa, who ran between 29^th August and 10^th September 1984. Fred Hicks had claimed to complete the run of 876 miles between the 20^th and 30^th of May, 1977 in 10 days 3 hours and 30 minutes. The Guinness Book of records included his claim before introducing requirements for documentary evidence: log book and record of ‘sightings’. Since then the record for the run had been improved on two occasions. On the 28^th of June 1988, Al Howie from Saltcoats in Ayrshire, but who lived in Victoria, Canada, completed his run from John O’Groats to Lands End in 11 days, 3 hours and 18 minutes. This improved the existing record by 22 hours and 41 minutes. In a letter to Albert Middleton, the manager of the Co-op in Buckie, who had given Al food for his run, he said ‘Beside the running the main problems were the traffic and the ever changing weather’. Richard Brown, although primarily a race walker, had used a combination of race walking and running to reduce the record time to; 10 days 18 hours and 23 minutes, so this was the time that I had to attempt to beat.

One of Isobel’s pupils, Julie Walker, was eager to help with fund raising and through her enthusiasm, her father, Stuart Walker, who operated a taxi service in Lossiemouth, agreed to be the ‘link’ person. I arranged that at the end of each day’s run, either Mick or Donald would telephone Stuart with information on my current progress. Stuart would then pass this information to appropriate contacts when they telephoned for ‘latest information’

On Friday the 31^st of March, after work we set off for Golspie, where we were to stay at Donald’s parent’s holiday cottage. Mike and Donald drove a minibus, supplied by our main sponsor, “The Macallan” whisky distillers. I had all the seating removed except that for the driver and passenger, so that it could easily carry all our provisions, kit and a bicycle, and also so that I could lie out in it for massage.

Overnight Mike developed severe toothache, so he and Donald set out early to try to find a dentist in Wick, while we made our way to John O’Groats some time later. My plan was to ease into the run by starting with a half day, and would run to Brora. At John O’Groats it was bitterly cold, and a strong South East wind blowing, so a wet suit, hat and gloves were necessary. Mike and Donald arrived about 30 minutes before noon, having found a dentist in Wick, who fixed Mike’s tooth for free as his contribution to our run, which by was known as “Ritchie’s Run 89”.

Nine friends and supporters turned up before the start, to wish me luck and see me off, which I greatly appreciated. I planned to start to start exactly on the 12 noon time signal from a B.B.C. radio station, but I selected the wrong station on the car radio in the excitement, and there was no time signal, so my actual departure time was 12.02.

I set off to cheer and was soon alone, tackling the first of many hills, running into a strong head wind in this very exposed region, and I wondered what the next ten days would bring. To try to minimise stress, and hopefully avoid injury I had decided that I would not run for more than three hours in a session, and that I would have at least 30 minutes break between sessions. I intended to run 3 times 3 hour sessions, followed by 2 times 2 hour sessions, plus whatever else was necessary to complete the target mileage if it was practical. During the 30minute rest I would change kit, and shoes if necessary, take food and drink, and receive a massage and stretching routine from Donald. Malcolm Morgan had demonstrated the techniques on me a few weeks before, while Donald and Mike observed, and Isobel made a video recording for reference. To gain skill, we think that Donald practiced massaging his girlfriend’s legs.

After I had covered about three miles, Donald and Mike began running alternate miles with me, to try giving me some protection from the wind, on the exposed road to Reiss. Soon Wick was reached, and we passed through with some encouragement from local people. I stopped at Thrumster for my first rest period, which passed quite slowly, but I was sure that this would not be the case later in the run. I continued down the undulating A9 road, which afforded some spectacular views of cliffs, sea and mountains. At the Berriedale Braes I was very cautious of the steep descent, fearful that excessive jarring might provoke another stress fracture, so I walked down the steepest part, a practice I would continue on all future steep downhills. The climb from Berriedale was O.K., and there were several other stiff climbs, before the descent to Helmsdale at sea level again. From there the road is almost flat, and I could see the lights of Brora, eleven miles away. This section appeared to take a long time to complete; it was quite annoying seeing the lights, which did not appear to be getting any closer. I finished in Brora at 10.45pm, having covered 65 miles.

I had difficulty sleeping that night, and was feverish. In the morning I was choked up with a cold; the cold, which had been threatening over the past week, had developed into a class one cold. After breakfast we returned to Brora, and I began running from last nights stop at 6.10a.m. The wind was not a problem until the high exposed ground from the south end of Loch Buidhe to Bonar Bridge. Going over the Struie hill was very hard as the wind was so strong at times that I had difficulty staying on my feet. I was glad when the descent to the Cromarty Firth began, as there were trees either side of the road, offering some protection.

Shortly before crossing the bridge over the river Averon, a sharp pain on the front of my left patella developed, and I worried that this might signal the start of problems with this knee. However, applying some freeze spray eased it considerably, and eventually it faded away and I forgot about it. Raymond Cameron and members of the Minolta Black Isle A.C. joined me a couple of miles before I rejoined the A9, and ran with me in relays from there to the Kessock Bridge at Inverness. It cheered me up to have this enthusiastic support, and they also helped to shield me from the wind. At Kessock Bridge, Colin Bailey had arranged a group of veteran Inverness Harriers, to run with me from the bridge to within a few miles of Slochd summit. Again they were a big help against the wind, and in lifting my morale. It became colder, and by Slochd summit there were flurries of sleet. I was tired and anxious to see the turn off for Carrbridge, where I was to stop. I reached there at 10.05p.m, having covered 84.7 miles, and feeling very tired. It had been a hard day with the wind and hills.

Donald drove us to the Caravan Park in Aviemore, where we were to spend the night and we all appreciated the hot showers. Next morning was frosty as I set off from Carrbridge at 6.05 a.m. I felt comfortable, and it was peaceful running along the B9125 road rather than the A9; I would have plenty of it and its traffic later in the day. The day developed into a pleasant morning, with no wind, and the sun was out, which was quite encouraging. My first three hours took me to Kingussie, only 19.5 miles, but I had come to accept this as the norm if I am to avoid injury, and complete the task. After Newtonmore I rejoined the A9, and after about 4 miles, I had company from Graham Milne, who had driven up from his parent’s home in Pitlochry. It was good to have his company to my next stop at Drumochter pass. By now Isobel had arrived, and the hot soup she offered was very welcome. Peter Scott a club mate of Graham’s, who was involved in the planning of the previous attempt, also arrived. He and Graham became my support team until Pitlochry, while Donald and Mike went ahead to Graham’s parents for a meal and some much needed sleep. Peter ran with me on my next three-hour session, and then Graham took over again until we reached Pitlochry, where a refreshed Mike and Donald resumed their task.

About one mile after rejoining the A9, after the Pitlochry section, I could see a figure running towards me, and on getting closer I recognised that unmistakable running style; it was Ian Moncur. I knew he was pleased to see me, as he began jumping up and down, waving his arms in the air and shouting at the top of his voice, “where the hell have you been?”. I had asked Ian prior to the run if he would like to run a section, and he readily agreed, so earlier in the day I had asked Graham to telephone him to let him know my location, so that he could plan a meeting. Unfortunately Graham gave him a very optimistic estimate of my arrival time at Ballinluig, so he had expected to meet us some three hours earlier. Ian ran with me for two hours, down to Dunkeld turn off, by which time it was quite late. I left the A9 soon after to go to Bankfoot, where we finished at 11 pm, with a total of 81.8 miles for the day. In view of this late finish, Mike suggested, what I had also been considering; that I start one hour earlier in the mornings.

There were no hot showers at our night stop, at Scone Palace Caravan Park near Perth, so we did without. Next morning I began running at 5.12am, and only covered 17.5 miles in the first session to Glenfarg. I was coping with the run, but getting weaker daily, and certainly not adapting to it, as some people suggested would happen. My cold had progressed into bronchitis, which was rather worrying.

Adrian Stott from Edinburgh joined me about five miles before my next stop at Hill of Beath. It cheered me up a lot to have his company. I developed a nose-bleed, the first of many, so I had to run along spattered in blood, and with a wad of toilet tissue in my nostril to stop the flow; just another nuisance. As we approached the Forth Road Bridge, snow began to fall, and there was a very strong East wind. Isobel passed us on the bridge, and so was able to video us coming off the other side. Adrian ran with me round the Edinburgh Bypass, which was very busy, and extremely nerve racking to run on, due to the fast and heavy traffic. We were both very relieved to get off and head for Penicuik. I observed at my next toilet stop, in some roadside cover, that as the day before, there was evidence of intestinal blood loss; something else to try and remedy. Adrian left us at Leadburn Inn, with best wishes for our “history in the making” event, and a flask of fresh tea plus a £5 donation from the Inn staff.

More snow fell on my next session down to and through Peebles, where I missed the most direct route onto the B7062 road. With the drop in altitude the snow turned to sleet. Somewhere on the narrow road, as mike and I ran along in the light from the van behind us, the lights suddenly veered to the right. Mike and I turned to see what had happened and saw that the van was off the road on the right hand side. Donald had fallen asleep while driving at such a slow speed. Thankfully there was no ditch and we were able to get the van back onto the road. I finished by Traquair House at 10.26pm, having covered 80.6 miles. It was quite a long drive to the Caravan Park at Tushielaw Inn, made difficult due to the snow on the B709 road, as we followed it over the hills. Again there were no hot showers, and it was after midnight by the time we had finished our ‘evening’ meal.

Later that morning, at 4.00am, we had to push the Macallan Van off the site, as the tyres were slipping on the slushy and muddy grass. I began running from last night’s stopping place at 5.16am, and soon faced a long climb over to the A708 junction, and then another climb, over to Tushielaw. The roads had a covering of snow, and it was quite therapeutic running through this quiet countryside, apart from sheep, as dawn broke.

Mike and Donald took turns at driving and sleeping, so that they would be fresher later in the day. I followed the meandering B709 on to Eskdalemuir, then down into Langholm, and we left the hills behind us, as the flat country around the Solway Firth spread out before us. I crossed the English border in the late afternoon, which gave me a morale boost.

Apart from my bronchitis, and intestinal blood loss, I was now beginning to get stomach pains, despite regular eating. I worried that I might be developing an ulcer. Also the inside of my mouth was very sensitive, almost raw, so it was an effort to eat; especially anything hot or with salt in it. I pondered possible courses of action to combat this problem. I had already given up quit dilute orange squash in favour of water, or tea or electrolyte drink after the second day. I noticed that my sore mouth was aggravated, by eating bread and jam, so I decided to eliminate sugar from my diet to see if this would help. I ate the dry wholemeal bread along with an electrolyte drink, and a banana every hour. Within a day of this regime my stomach pains vanished, and there was no longer evidence of intestinal bleeding. The inside of my mouth, however remained raw.

I passed through Longtown and approached Carlisle along a very busy A7; it was the rush hour. I was very tired and I flopped into the van at my next stop at the North side of Carlisle. Following this rest stop, Donald guided me through Carlisle and onto the A6 road, which I followed as darkness fell. Mike accompanied me with a torch, to our finishing point at the Northern outskirts of Penrith, reached at 11.11 p.m. This gave me 81 miles for the day.

Next morning I started at 5.11am, and felt comfortable on the run up to Shap fell. I did not like the steep descent after Shap summit, and I had to go very cautiously to avoid putting to much stress on my legs. Mike joined me as I approached Kendal to guide me through, before dashing off to buy another pair of shoes from Pete Bland’s shop. I was extremely tired by this time, and covered only 16.9 miles in this, my second session, which finished about two miles South of Kendal. During my massage in the rest period, I kept falling asleep and going straight into a dream. Donald did very well in his massaging sessions, but we soon used up all the massage oil, so Johnson’s baby oil was used, but this caused some hairs to get pulled out on the insides of both thighs, causing boils to occur there. These were another source of irritation. Next we tried “crisp-n-dry” cooking oil, which worked well, but it left a pungent sickly smell on any kit contaminated with it, and on the air bed used for massage, which was also Donald’s night bed.

I put on lighter shoes to see if this would help matters, as I pushed on to Carnforth and Lancaster. I felt very weak, and wondered how much longer I could keep going. My concern grew so I decided that I would run less than was planned, so that I could finish earlier and get to bed earlier. I finished at 9.27pm in Preston town centre, having covered 72.4 miles.

Next morning I got underway at 5.20am, and followed the A49 to Wigan and onto Warrington. I felt a bit fresher, but still managed only 17.3 miles in my first session. After Stretton I ran through some attractive countryside, and just after mid-day logged 500 miles. During the afternoon I had another nosebleed, and this became a regular occurrence until the end. Rather than stop I stuffed a pieces of toilet paper up my nostrils to stem the flow of blood. I finished the day at Wem at 9.25pm, with another 73.1 miles added to the total. My plan w, was to run at least 70 miles a day to the finish, instead of my planned 80 miles, as the latter was proving too stressful and might promote a breakdown.

My 5.02 am start the following morning was my earliest, but I felt tired, and covered just 16.7 miles in my first three hours session. It was frustrating to be going so slowly, but at least I was still running, and had no injuries. The owners of Lower Lacon Caravan Park at Wem, Shropshire, where we had stayed the previous night waived their charge as their contribution to our charity.

Going through Shrewsbury I passed by the Lion Hotel, where we had stayed in 1987 following the abandonment of my first attempt. I passed through some attractive countryside as I followed the A49 to Church Stretton and Ludlow.

The weather became quite warm in the afternoon sunshine, and I was tempted to put on shorts, but I discovered that it was not quite warm enough on stopping. It was rather pleasant, running from Ludlow through Richards Castle and Luston to Leominster along the quiet B4361. Passing through Leominster I felt some twinges in my right calf, and I began to worry that this might be the start of an injury. After a few more occurrences, they did not reoccur, which was a relief. I passed Hope under Dinmore, where my previous attempt finished, and my thoughts returned to that miserable day two years ago, when I was very downcast. Hereford was reached at dusk, and then ran on and up the long climb to the A466 turn off. I finished at 11.07pm, North of St. Weonards, with a total of 73.6 miles, for the day.

At 05.08 am next morning, I started quite aggressively, and gave thanks that I was still running, as I passed the spot where my stress fracture had happened two years previously. Monmouth was passed through, and my run down the Wye valley, early on this Sunday morning was pleasant. I reached the Severn Bridge at about 11am, and weather conditions were quite warm again. In Bristol, Mike and I navigated to the Clifton Suspension Bridge; only to discover that the road we were to have taken down to the riverside was closed. I decided to go over the bridge and go down on the other side, assuming that we could find a bridge at river level, and cross back to rejoin our route. This was a mistake, because, despite our city map, we got disorientated, in fact thoroughly lost, and wasted time going in the wrong direction. However, we asked directions from local people, and after clambering over a couple of fences, and a railway line we regained our route.

By my next stop, on the climb out of Bristol, on the A38, I had only covered 12.2 miles in the last three hours session. During the next session, the road was very busy; I assumed that it was people returning to Bristol, after a Sunday afternoon outing. Mike’s sister, Hilary joined us after Bristol, and assisted Isobel locate our night’s Caravan Park, and get set up ready to receive us later. Once over the Mendip hills, the road became flat, just like the batteries of our torch. Rain began to fall, so I splashed along holding a torch, which was almost useless. Mike fetched the batteries from the rear light of the bicycle, but they soon faded also. Despite this I managed to avoid damaging myself, in any potholes in the roadside. I was aiming for Bridgwater, and eventually reached the outskirts, where I stopped for the day. It was 11.25pm, and I had covered 71.8 miles.

Next morning I got going at 05.01 am, and made my way through Bridgwater and on to Taunton. In my first session I covered 17.4 miles, which was quit encouraging considering my poor condition. Tiverton was next, then a very hilly section across to Crediton. As I was still concerned about excessive leg stress, I choose to walk on steep downhill sections. I decided to try four three-hour sessions, rather than switch to two-hour sessions. On the next session I had a sharp pain on the left front side of my chest, which was aggravated by swinging my left arm, in my normal running action. I had to run along with my left arm folded against my chest to ease the pain. I thought that I must have pulled a muscle; due to all the coughing I had been doing over the past few days, because of my bronchitis. Then I wondered what a collapsed lung felt like. When I mentioned my new problem to Donald, who had arrived to accompany me over the remaining few miles to Oakhampton, he suggested that it was probably indigestion. I took this to mean, “stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with the run”. I reached Oakhampton at 8pm, in a very tired condition, with only 14.7 miles covered in the last three hours. I had a 66-minute rest before continuing with Mike and a rejuvenated torch, towards Lewdown where I finished at11.18pm, with 74.2 miles added to the total. I was now 88 miles from the finish, so the next day should be the final one.

I began my last day at 05.18am, with a sense of excitement and apprehension. My chest pain of the previous day had gone, but I was concerned that something may go wrong even at this late stage of the run. After about an hour into the run a headwind began to blow, and rain followed. Amazingly quickly, the wind became a gale and the rain became torrential. I battled on against the elements, the gale increasing in ferocity, as I climbed onto Bodmin moor. In my first three-hour session I only covered 15.4 miles. On my next session I was concerned that some of the gusts of wind would blow me into the path of a truck, or some other vehicle, so I asked Donald to drive the van ahead of me, so that I could get some protection, and so maintain a straight course. By the Bodmin Bypass the rain had ceased, but the wind was still strong. This second session yielded only 15.3 miles, and an even poorer 15.00 miles were achieved on the next. I changed into lighter shoes for my fourth session, and felt that I was running better, and covered 16.6 miles. However on the next, a two-hour session, I only managed 9.7 miles, finishing at the St. Ivel factory at Hayle at 11.08pm. I began my final session at 11.47pm, knowing that I had to complete the remaining 16.2 miles in 6hr 38min, to break Richard Brown’s record. By now the wind had died, and it was a peaceful night with a clear sky, and a near full moon. On reaching Penzance, not thinking clearly, I took the Bypass road rather than go through the town, which turned out to be a mistake, as I appeared to complete a large semicircle, involving some nasty climbs. As I left the Bypass, a signpost indicated 9.5 miles to Lands End; at least I was almost there, but I was very tired and it seemed to take ages to reach Sennan, where I could smell the sea. As I ran towards the finish a floodlight came on, to allow the B.B.C. South West camera team to record the finish. I stumbled and almost fell on a speed control ramp in the road, and I was confused as Lands End was completely different from what it had been like two years earlier. There were new buildings, but I eventually found the hotel on the cliff top, and the “official” signpost, where I finished at 3.27am.

At last it was over! I had finished the journey of 846.4 miles, on foot, in 10 days 15 hours and 25 minutes, a mere 2 hours, 56 minutes faster than Richard had achieved. I was very relieved to that we got through it, without any mishap to myself or my support crew and my family. After hugs all round, we opened the bottle of Champagne, given by Albert Middleton, and drank to our successful project. I was very grateful to Mike and Donald for their dedicated and uncomplaining attention throughout each long day and to Isobel for her unfailing support. They each contributed a great deal to the success of the run.

Once the camera crew had signed our witness book we made our way to Lower Treave Caravan Park at Crows-an-wra. It was about 4.30 am before we got to bed; normally we would be preparing to start another day’s run at this time. I found it difficult to sleep, as had been the case throughout the run, and got up at 9.00am. It was wonderful, not to have to go and run!

Later after making various telephone calls we returned to Lands End, to see in daylight the new developments, and to sign the “End to End” book. Mike and Donald set off for home in the afternoon, as Mike had to get a flight to Boston for the marathon; he had a unique preparation for it.

Isobel and I and the girls stayed another night at Crows-an-wra; the girls enjoyed watching the tortoise in the site owners garden. While there, a stream of yellow liquid suddenly poured from my nose, as though someone had turned on a tap. Isobel on seeing this commented that it was my brains running out, which we both found appropriately funny, and we ended up with a ‘fit of the giggles’.

It took us four days to get back to Lossiemouth, and we arrived home on Sunday the sixteenth of April in the early evening. I had then to prepare for my return to work next day. We were certainly not refreshed after our Easter vacation. My weight on Monday the seventeenth of April was 9 stone, 7 pounds, which is around 7 pounds below normal; so since I had been snacking almost continuously, during waking hours, since I finished, I estimate that my weight may have been down to 9 stones.

The aftermath of the run was not what I expected; I was not injured, just very weak, and my health/immune system had broken down. Apart from the continuing bronchitis, I had swollen glands either side of my neck, and my pulse was always ten beats above normal. My G.P. prescribed antibiotics and they worked sufficiently well, for me to resume running on the first of May. I had difficulty sleeping, for about five weeks after finishing the run. I would be very restless, and keep thinking it was time to get up and get ready to run, or I would dream that I was running, and getting lost.

Being an optimist I had entered for the Lochaber marathon on 23^rd April, and the first British Athletics Federation and Road Runners Club 100Km championship, on the seventh of May, prior to my run, but I had to withdraw from both events. My poor health continued throughout the summer; each time I began to train hard, I picked up another infection. I had seven courses of antibiotics, plus two decongestant mixtures, before I began to get back to normal in early September. I felt stronger each week, from then, and I knew I had recovered when I ran 6-51-14 in the Santander 100Km, in Spain, in October.

In association with my run, my many helpers and I raised £5666.85, for cancer research, of which £2900 went to the Moray branch of the Cancer Research Campaign and £2766.85 was donated to the Breast scanner appeal for Elgin. This made the run all the more satisfying. I have great respect for anyone who completes the ‘End to End’ journey on foot, as I know how difficult it is.

Postscript.

There were several record attempts since 1989, and most petered out after three or four days. Richard Brown, whose record I had broken, sent me a card, saying ‘congratulations on your record, enjoy it until I get it back’. I thought that he was joking, but years later I realised that he was not.

On Saturday the thirteenth of May, Isobel and I drove overt to the A9 and met Richard Brown on the old A9 North of Kingussie. He was in excellent spirits and walking strongly and aiming to cover eighty miles a day by combining running and fast walking. I cycled with him until beyond Slochd Summit. There was quite a heavy snow shower on the section after Aviemore.

His support team consisted of two camper vans, with the following crew in one: Doug Aitken, the organiser/route finder and driver, Cyril the cycling attendant and James the physiotherapist, an unemployed graduate, who also looked after the cooking and meals. In the other van there were: Don Thompson, Amos Seddon and another walker/cyclist.

The two vans worked in 4-hour shifts and Richard had an attendant walker or cyclist with him at all times to carry drinks of ‘Leppin’ and provisions. The on-duty van continually leapfrog him from one lay-by to the next convenient grass verge, so that they were never more than half a mile away. In this way Richard could get food on request and any additional clothing required to cope with the changing weather. This is the arrangement that I would have adopted if I had access to funds that would permit it, but I am proud of our successful ‘shoe-string’ adventure.

Richard was sleeping in his fresh kit and rising at 04:00 so that he could get out on the road by 04:15 and did not take a break until 12:00, when he would take 40 minutes or an hour for lunch. He then continued without a break until 23:30!

During this to time he alternated race walking with running. While I was there he did a little jogging before his lunch break, but after that he only walked because he was worried about a knee problem. However his walking pace of 4.25 to 4.5 miles an hour was sufficient to meet his schedule. I expected that he would reduce my end-to-end record by several hours and should be close to ten days. There was some talk that Richard and his wife Sandra, who was also embarked on her own L.E.G.O.G received some financial assistance from the distributors of the film ‘Forest Gump’, but I forgot to ask Richard about this.

Since my run in 1989 there had been some road improvements and one major advantage was that there was a bridge over the Dornoch Firth, which removed the need to climb over the ’Struie’ and the loop through Bonar Bridge.

On the 15^th of May 1995 Richard completed the journey from Lands End to John O’Groats (L.E.J.O.G.) in10 days 2 hours 25 minutes, to set the current record. I know that the record should be under ten days, but who will accomplish this? A strong ultra runner with the time, and adequate financial backing, plus an experienced support crew, would be a good bet. I am occasionally tempted to plan another attempt to get the record back, and finish under ten days. Perhaps the desire will reach such a level that I will have to do something about it. Time will tell.

Don Ritchie: RRC Interview

Posted on September 21, 2015 by The Author

Don Ritchie RRC Interview

Don Ritchie finishing the E-G Point to Point

The following article and interview was given to Colin Youngson by Don Ritchie and we thank him for it. It is a fascinating insight into the man and as it says, his book will surely have to be published.

Two Bridges

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Two Bridges Start: 1983: Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 42, Ron Bentley (Tipton) 153 and Don Ritchie (Forres) 96

The Two Bridges was one of the real classics of Scottish ultra-distance running: everybody who was anybody in the sport from all over the British Isles and even further afield came and raced in it. Colin Youngson has done a superb job of chronicling the race, its history and the participants and it is a privilege to have it on these pages. The map below comes from the pre-race flyer for the race of 1969 and has been given to us by Alex Wilson. The documentation for the race was impressive with good programmes and a real Rolls Royce of a results sheet. In the first race there were no fewer than 32 starters – 29 Englishmen, one from Ireland, and 15 Scots. I think. There is a photograph of Graham Bennison, now with Fife AC – holding the winning team trophy aloft as a member of the Bolton United team in 1979: Graham ran in the race ‘a lot’ between 1973 and 1987. He mentions Bob Meadowcrcroft being annoyed that they (BUH) were the only team with all three runners (Bob, Graham and Tom (Parr) under 4 hours but they finished fourth. Graham’s tendon went in the 1987 race and he was never able to run these long distances again. The name of Ken Shaw will be seen many times in the following race reports and he did indeed turn out in more races than any other runner. We heard of his death from Chris Holloway of Tipton Harriers and an appreciation of his life can be found at this link

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/calneheadlines/9318046.Family_s_tribute_to_marathon_man_Ken

Graham MacDonald of Pitreavie AAC knew Ken and has this to say about him. “I knew Ken quite well – first of all at the London to Brighton race when I was living in Ewell and assisting Don Turner and the Epsom lads. Later every year, he always made a point of shaking hands. I don’t know if he remembered me or just shook hands with everyone. He was the most prolific runner of the Two Bridges – running every year from 1968 to 1997. That is thirty races and finishing 28 of them. His best time was (I think) four hours 15 minutes but sadly took 9 hours 40 minutes in his last race when he was not very well. He decided to retire after that but returned every year to meet up with his colleagues and was given the honour of starting the race in 2004 when it was the last of the trail races. He was a real character.”

The Two Bridges Road Race was Scotland’s most famous ultra distance marathon, run 38 times between 1968 and 2005, before it unfortunately came to an end due to roadworks and a lack of organisers and helpers. The original course started at the main entrance to Dunfermline Glen, and went through Crossford, Torryburn and Culross, over the Kincardine Bridge and then on to Skinflats, Bo’ness, Newton and over the Forth Road Bridge, up to Inverkeithing and finished at the Rosyth Civil Service Sports Centre. The overall distance was 36 miles 158 yards (58.082km) from 1986 to 1985; and then 35 miles 498 yards (56.783km) from 1996 onwards. From 2004 the race was known as the Two Bridges Multi-Terrain Challenge and went along 12 miles trail, 9 miles track and 14 miles road. For a list of winners google www.arrs.net , click on Longest Running Ultramarathons, and then on the 38 Two Bridges 36 mile races.

Phil Hampton, a distance runner who ran for the Royal Navy AC, in September 1966 had just returned to Rosyth from three months at sea on HMS Gurkha. His boyhood comic-strip hero had been Alf Tupper, the Tough of the Track, who trained very hard in all kinds of weather. Phil wished to get in a long run before the Edinburgh to Glasgow 42 miles 176 ultra-marathon (in which he later finished second in 4:56:53). Consequently he followed a signpost to the Kincardine Bridge and reckoned that if he continued to the Forth Road Bridge, crossed it an returned to base, it would be about 26 miles.

In Phil’s own words this is what happened: “I set off at 6:00 am on a Sunday morning intending to return at about 9:00 am. I ripped up to Kincardine all right in about 1 hour 10 minutes, crossed the bridge and proceeded to look for a left fork on the other side of the river to take me back to the Forth Bridge. I found that the road didn’t fork left for miles, and when it did, it wandered miles away from the river. Far from being 11 miles back, it was a mere 20 miles. Of course I had done my first 15 miles too fast so long before I got to the Forth Bridge I was on my knees. I eventually staggered home at about half past ten, to find my patient wife about to start a police search. When I had recovered, and it didn’t take long to get over that ‘to hell with it’ state, I realised what a wonderful course there was for a road race. I mentioned this to Mr Bill McPherson of the Civil Service Sports Association who, being a wonderful grafter, eventually organised the inaugural race which was a tremendous success and made me glad that I had done that training run.”

Phil went on to have considerable success. He not only won the famous Polytechnic Marathon (Windsor to Chiswick) twice, in 1969 (2:25:22) and 1971 (2:18:31) but also set a world record for the 50 Miles on the track at Epsom in 1971 in the superb time of 5 hours 1 minute and 1 second. He devised and and organised the Dartmoor Discovery 32 miles ultra-marathon from 1998 to 2010 when he was 75 years old.

ARRS, The Association of Road Running Statisticians, www.arrs.net) has a race history of the Two Bridges Road Race with a list if dates, the names of the winners and their times). However there is a much more detailed on-line History of the “London to Brighton Race” and this document is an attempt to do the same for the finest Scottish road ultra. Race summaries come from reports, kindly supplied by Ian Champion from the Road Runners Club newsletter. These reports were written mainly by Don Turner and Ernie Letley as well as John Softley and Derek Walton. In this history I have usually included only the first ten in each race. However, others who may wish a reminder of their place in a specific race (I do not have a note af all finishers) or who wish to send corrections or missing race reports may email Colin Youngson via cjyoungson@btinternet.com

Just after the start: Looking South across the Firth

1968

32 competitors lined up at 10:00 am on Saturday 24th August on a warm day in The Glen in Dunfermline for the start of the inaugural race. Lynn Hughes (Thames Valley Harriers) went off fast with Chris O’Carroll, who reached 10 miles in 57:39, 15 seconds clear of Hughes. On the killing hill out of Bo’ness, and on the undulating road towards 30 miles, things started to happen. Hughes wasn’t moving as well as he had been and O’Carroll was fading fast and had been overtaken by Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston Harriers). Don Turner of Pitreavie, who had been lurking near at hand, was making up ground fast, and by 30 miles had overtaken everyone except Hughes. Hughes reached 30 miles in 3:08:32; Turner 3:08:54; Mitchell 3:09:34; Ron Bentley of Tipton Harriers 3:14:00; in front of a straggling bunch of Hampton, Donkin, Brandon, Russell and Meadowcroft. Over the Forth Bridge, Turner went well clear and held on to the finish, still looking fresh, to win his first race for five years. There were 26 finishers, and the organisation, the attention to the well-being of the runners, and the tremendous hospitality were really first class. Bill McPherson, the organiser, and all his many helpers did us all proud.

1. Don Turner (Pitreavie) 3:47:08; 2. Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston) 3:54:23; 3. Lynn Hughes (Thames Valley H) 3:55:21; 4. Ron Bentley (Tipton H) 3:58:53; 5. Willie Russell (Monkland) 4:00:32; 6. Bob Meadowcroft (Bolton) 4:01:54; 7. Ray Donkin (Sunderland) 4:04:15; 8. J Russell Brandon (Cheltenham) 4:06:42; 9. Phil Hampton (RNAC) 4:08:40; 10. Terry Rooke (Middlesbrough) 4:15:59. 1st Veteran: Geoff Stott (Warley) 15th 4:39:25 in front of Ron Pickard (Perth) 16th in 4:45:59.

First team: Tipton Harriers.

Since this was the very first Two Bridges Race, here are the other competitors: 11 A Fern (Tipton H) 4.25.15; 12 Gordon P Bentley (Tipton H) 4.25.15; 13 Chris O’Carroll (Royal Artillery Germany) 4.36.00; 14 Jimmy Milne (Edinburgh AAC) 4.38.10; 17 G P Moralee [Royal Navy AC (South)] 4.47.05; 18 Ken Shaw (Cambridge H) 4.54.27; 19 G Dixon (Sunderland Harriers) 4.54.53; 20 Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang H) 4.57.48; 21 John H Gray (EAC) 5.08.40; 22 R W C Claxton (Cambridge H) 5.12.56; 23 K D Stockton [Royal Navy AC (South)] 5.32.05; 24 Derek W D Todd (Rosyth Civil Service) 5.47.48; 25 R G Clark [Royal Navy AC (South)] 5.54.10; 26 J Christie (Victoria Park AAC) 6.24.02. Retired: J M Offley (TVH); J McDonald (Shettleston); P Gaston (Brighton & Hove AC); D J Taylor (Rosyth Civil Service); J A Thompson (Middlesborough & Cleveland H); E Brady (Rosyth Civil Service).

1969

Jack McLean (Bellahouston H) on the left, 48, the four Tipton men right in the centre, Jimmy Milne (EAC), 11, and I think I detect AJ Wood’s brow behind number 7!

Cutting received from Tipton Harriers.

44 starters. Interest was centred on how Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) would perform in his first effort above the marathon distance. A fast pace was also assured by the presence of Phil Hampton, already the winner of three marathons in the year. Wood moved away from the rest by five miles to record 58:36 at ten miles. He was followed by Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston), Phil Hampton (RNAC), Roger Cressy (Hillingdon) and Ken Grant (Army), with Ron Bentley, Gordon Bentley and Mike Evans of Tipton plus Jim Wight and his brother Alex Wight (Edinburgh AC) all inside the hour.

Hampton joined Wood by 20 miles (1:55:31), with Jim Wight, Mitchell and Cressy within sight at 1:56:11 and Alex Wight, Ron Bentley and Evans inside 6 minutes a mile pace. Into the steep hill out of Bo’ness (22 miles), Hampton and Wood were still piling on the pace to reach 25 miles together in 2:24:08. Just afterwards, on the straight but undulating stretch to 30 miles, Wood managed to escape to reach that point in an incredible 2:52:33. Surprisingly a new danger threatened because an inspired Jim Wight was gaining ground in second place (2:52:48). Hampton was beginning to fade and Cressy and Mitchell looked dangerous. Five men inside 3 hours for 30 miles and the race was wide open as they reached the Forth Road Bridge. Jim Wight continued to inch up on Wood over the next two miles but just when it looked as if the race would be his, Wood drew on those deep reserves of his, built up over years of top class running, and drew away steadily to record at the finish the magnificent time of 3:27:28. He was followed by Jim Wight running the race of his life; then Mitchell who said he just couldn’t have run any faster; Hampton, probably tired after a long fine season; and Cressy in his first attempt at a race of this distance.

I (Don Turner) would rank Alastair Wood’s, and Jim Wight’s and Hugh Mitchell’s performances very highly indeed, and it is clear that, could someone of this quality be persuaded to have a go at the London to Brighton, the record would go. (It did, when Alastair Wood won three years later).

1. Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 3:27:28; 2. Jim Wight (EAC) 3:29:30; 3. Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston) 3:31:31: 4. Phil Hampton (Navy South) 3:35:40; 5. Roger Cressy (Hillingdon AC) 3:37:19; 6. Ron Bentley (Tipton) 3:51:15;

7. GE Johnson (Tipton) 3:53:13; 8. T Parr (Bolton United H) 3:57:28; 9. Bill Carr (Tipton) 4:00.04; 10. Bob Meadowcroft (Bolton) 4:02:33. First Veteran: John Cox (Newbridge AC, Eire) 15th in 4:10:32.

Handicap winner: Gordon Porteous (Maryhill Harriers – aged 55) First Team: Tipton Harriers. 37 runners finished.

Here are the finishers outside the top ten:

11 Willie J Russell (Shettleston H) 4.04.00 12 Charlie J Fraser (Edinburgh Southern H) 4.05.40 13 John G Malpass (Tipton H) 4.07.23 14 Gordon P Bentley (Tipton H) 4.09.31 15 John Cox (Newbridge AC, Eire) First Veteran 4.10.32 16 Robert A Farran (Bolton U H) 4.13.54 17 Anthony Fern (Tipton) 4.19.59 18 Ken Shaw (Cambridge H) 4.22.58 19 Alex S Wight (Edinburgh AC) 4.23.05 20 A Laing (RAF) 4.26.28 21 Ron Pickard (Perth Railway AC) 4.29.08 22 Jack McLean (Bellahouston H) 4.31.09 23 W Don Turner (Pitreavie AAC) 4.34.43 24 Gordon J Porteous (Maryhill H) 4.36.05 25 N M Fox (Army AC) 4.37.13 26 Geoff Stott (Warley AC) 4.39.03 27 A Saunders (Army AC) 4.42.43 28 David N Anderson (Greenock Wellpark H) 4.50.56 29 Chris F O’Carroll (Army AC) 4.57.46 David Miller (Perth Railway AAC) 5.0034 31 Paul Whittaker (Oldham & Royston AC) 5.14.54 32 Richard Puckrin (Middlesbrough and Cleveland H) 5.15.01 33 John H Gray (Edinburgh AC) 5.15.02 34 H P Stallard (RMA Sandhurst) 5.16.53 35 Joseph Teesdale (Saltwell H) 5.20.12 36 Derek W B Todd (Rosyth Civil Service) 5.24.15 37 Ronald Evans (Darlington H) 6.04.00

Report from the ‘Dunfermline Herald’

1970

39 starters gathered in Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, on a cloudy Saturday morning. A large group reached 5 miles in a steady 29:22. Over the Kincardine Bridge and past 15 miles (1:28:15) the leaders were Phil Hampton (RN South), John Malpass and Ron Bentley of Tipton and John Berry of Wakefield. Hampton and Berry were pushing the pace by 20 miles (1:57:38) approaching Bo’ness). On the toughest section the sharp and then the long hill out of the town, Hampton broke clear (25 miles in 2:28:04) and led by two minutes from Ron Bentley, while Malpass, who had taken the hill better than Berry, was right on the latter’s heels, as was John Linaker of Pitreavie.

The course now consisted of a straight undulating road, exceptionally quiet to those used to the London to Brighton and Liverpool to Blackpool roads. Hampton still had his two minute lead at 30 miles (3:00:19) from Ron Bentley and a refreshed Berry, while Linaker was fourth and Willie Russell (Shettleston) was four and a half minutes behind the leader. By the Forth Road Bridge, Hampton was tiring. On the other side past Inverkeithing at 35 miles, he was only one minute and twenty four seconds in front of Ron Bentley, and Willie Russell, moving through fast as he did in the Isle of Man, to present a late challenge. In Rosyth, Hampton only realised the threat just in time, and made a last effort to hold off Russell, who finished only 13 seconds behind after a valiant chase. Phil Hampton therefore just managed to win the race that he had inspired three years earlier.

1. Phil Hampton 3:41:19; 2. Willie Russell 3:41:32; 3. Ron Bentley 3:42:15; 4. John Berry 3:42:48; 5. John Malpass 3:45:18; 6. John Linaker 3:49:01; 7. Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen AAC) 3:50:50; 8. George Johnson (Tipton) 3:54:43; 9. Gordon Bentley (Tipton) 3:59:20; 10. Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston) 4:04:24. First Team: Tipton Harriers. 34 finished.

Here are the finishers outside the top ten:

11 Robert Hamilton (Pitreavie AAC) 4.06.12 12 W Don Turner (Pitreavie) 4.07.00 13 John MacDonald (Lewisvale Spartans) 4.10.13 14 Jim K Wight (EAC) 4.11.06 15 J Willets (Unattached) 4.14.23 16 Bob Meadowcroft (Bolton United Harriers) 4.21.50 17 Ray Williams (Tipton) 4.22.23 18 Ron Pickard (Perth Railway AC) 4.24.22 19 Ken Shaw (Cambridge H) 4.27.14 20 David Anderson (Greenock Wellpark H) 4.36.42 21 Jack Barber (Sunderland H) 4.37.20 22 Peter Davis (Pitreavie) 4.40.46 23 Henry Morrison (DHH) 4.42.02 24 Ron Copson (Tipton) 4.46.45 25 Brian Hill (Army AC) 4.51.30 26 Vic Gutteridge (Cambridge) 4.51.55 27 George C King (Greenock Wellpark H) 4.54.01 28 Brian D Cook (Anglo-Scottish AC) 4.57.49 29 Norman E Best (Royal Naval AC South) 5.05.24 30 David Miller (Perth Railway AC) 5.10.12 31 Paul Whittaker (Oldham & Royston AC) 5.24.39 32 Roy Claxton (Cambridge) 5.34.20 33 Graham G Glass (Rosyth Civil Service AC) 5.42.00 34 James Reid (Clyde Submarine Base) 6.53.06

1971

Tipton’s tremendous strength in depth was demonstrated when Tony Burkitt and Billy Carr did most of the pace making. Theyleft John Malpass behind, with the Bentley brothers further back. However Alex Wight was always well placed as the fastest marathon runner in the field, and he duly took the lead from Burkitt at the top of the hill out of Bo’ness (24 miles) and went past 30 miles in 2:52:51. Colin Hunt came through strongly towards the end. One of the features of the race was the strong running of the Wakefield team, who may prove a threat to Tipton before long. It is almost worth running in the race to get Raymond Hutcheson’s results booklet! If you want a race on pleasant, quiet roads with plenty of enthusiastic support and a good social evening afterwards, come along next August.

1. Alex Wight (EAC) 3:28:20; 2. Colin Hunt (Wolverhampton and Bilston) 3:33:48; 3. Bill Carr (Tipton) 3:37:16; 4. Brian Pickersgill (Wakefield Harriers) 3:40:10; 5. John Malpass (Tipton) 3:40:27; 6. Tony Burkitt (Tipton) 3:42:06;

7. Willie Russell (Shettleston) 3:46:19; 8. P ‘Eddie’ Edwards (Wakefield) 3:47:05; 9. John Berry (Wakefield) 3:48:36; 10. Ken Morris (RAF Shaftesbury) 3:54:15. First Team: Tipton Harriers 43 started, 33 finished.

Here are the finishers outside the top ten: 11 George Johnston (Tipton) 3.55.17 12 Gordon Bentley (Tipton) 3.58.08 13 Mick Orton (Tipton) 3.58.27 14 John Offley (TVH) 3.59.07 15 Ron Bentley (Tipton) 3.59.09 16 Jimmy Milne (EAC) 4.01.56 17 Charlie Chase (Germiston Callies H – South Africa) 4.06.23 18 J McNeil (Shettleston) 4.17.35 19 Henry Morrison (Dundee Hawkhill H) 4.18.24 20 Ken Shaw (Cambridge) 4.20.00 21 Derek Ashton (Derby & County) 4.21.48 22 Alan Storey (Sunderland H) 4.26.36 23 P Proctor (Royal Navy South) 4.29.54 24 M Hutcheson (Middlesbrough) 4.38.53 25 Jack Haley (Spenborough) 4.44.05 26 L J (Les) Opper (Verlea AC) 4.49.22 27 John H Gray (EAC) 4.52.32 28 John Ballantyne (GPO Glasgow) 4.52.41 29 Ron Copson (Tipton H) 4.59.25 30 Dan Coffey (Cambridge H) 5.01.58 31 James Reid (Clyde Submarine Base) 5.03.21 32 V R (Vic) Gutteridge (Cambridge H) 5.04.39 33 R F Adams (Royal Marines) 5.58.03.

1972

It was a tragedy, and somewhat ironic in this of all races, that Alastair Wood should go off course when leading the field by over a minute beyond 30 miles. The organisation which has been a model for such races slipped up when a marshal went on to the next refreshment point with Wood’s special drink, thinking he had time to get back to his marshalling point, but Alastair, running ahead of schedule had gone by when he got back in time to direct the rest of the field. This cost Alastair about three minutes which was too much to recover on the Wight brothers. Although he set about chasing them furiously across the Forth Bridge they were also in great form, so much so that these first three all beat Wood’s superb time of 3:27:28 (set two years ago), which was considered almost unbeatable then. So the records crumble.

All credit to Alex and Jim Wight for their splendid performances and to Jimmy Milne who made up the EAC team which gave the Tipton team one of their extremely rare beatings. Praise too to Mick Orton who, just back from holiday, could not quite reproduce his tremendous winning Comrades Marathon performance, and to Joe Keating for a great effort in a fine season for him. The race of course was run at a great pace, with Joe Keating leading at ten miles in 58:00; Wood and the Wights together at the marathon distance (2:27:26); and Wood alone at 30 miles in a great 2:47:52. Perhaps he resolved to take his revenge on the London to Brighton road, and if he did we were well rewarded. (Alastair Wood went on to win that most famous of races and smashed the record.)

1. Alex Wight (EAC) 3:24:07 (record); 2. Jim Wight (EAC) 3:24:49; 3. Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 3:25:49; 4. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:30:02; 5. Joe Keating (Blaydon H) 3:32:29; 6. John Malpass (Tipton) 3:25:27;

7. Colin Hunt (Wolverhampton) 3:36:14; 8. Brian Pickersgill (Wakefield) 3:37:23; 9. Jimmy Milne (EAC) 3:43:02; 10. Billy Carr (Tipton) 3:43:48. 1st Veteran Willie Russell (Monkland) 15th in 3:52:55 1st Team: EAC . 38 finished.

Longannet Power Station

1973

The absence of Alastair Wood and Alex and Jim Wight left the way clear for Cavin Woodward and maybe Mick Orton. Cavin went away like a shot and blistered through ten miles in 53:39, Orton and four others clocked 57:55. Cavin stretched his lead through 15 miles (1:21:30) but by the marathon distance (2:27:06 Mick was slowly closing. However Cavin showed what a good front runner he is. By 30 miles he was well ahead (2:49:55 to 2:54:01). Colin Hunt was timed at 2:58:41. These positions remained unaltered to the end. What a fight there was after that! Only 35 seconds covered the next four with Bill Carr just scraping home in front of the fast finishing Willie Russell, the slowly-moving John Berry and the steady Gavin Riley. A good rousing evening quenching our thirst ensured a return to Rosyth hospitality next year!

1. Cavin Woodward (Leamington AC) 3:25:21; 2. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:31:48; 3. Colin Hunt (Wolves and Bilston) 3:41:08; 4. Bill Carr (Tipton) 3:46:18; 5. Willie Russell (Monkland H) 3:46:33; 6. John Berry (Wakefield) 3:46:42;

7. Gavin Riley (Bedford AC) 3:46:53; 8. Tommy Parr (Bolton United Harriers) 3:49:40; 9. Graham Bennison (Bolton) 3:53:09; 10. Tom Buckingham (Leamington) 3:53:29. First team: Tipton. 29 Finished

1974

An entry of 100 was a tribute to the popularity of this event. Sheldon Karlin of the Washington club set off at a great pace but Jim Wight kept him well covered and was in the lead by thirteen seconds at five miles (28:00). The main pack of 10 clocked 29:10. Wight was really flying as he went along the Forth riverside to go through ten miles in 55:16, two minutes clear of Karlin. At 20 miles Jim was timed at 1:49:47 with Don Macgregor looking dangerous in his first attempt over the marathon distance (1:53:57). Karlin was still hanging on (1:54:53) but the Aberdeen partnership of Wood and Heron was strong and ready for dividends. Macgregor had closed only slightly on the leader at 25 miles but Karlin had gone. Jim Wight went through the marathon distance in 2:25:22 and by 30 miles (2:48:10) Macgregor’s challenge had just about faded although he was still hanging on gamely. Wood and heron were still going strong. Jim Wight however had run a well-judged race and he came home clear in 3:26:31, just outside the record, thus adding his name to that of his brother Alex on the winner’s trophy. Rab Heron just got the better of his mentor Alastair Wood near the end, and then came Alan Richards, who had a fine run. The third Aberdeen man, Don Ritchie, finished strongly to give no other team a chance. Bob Thurston, winner of the US race, upheld American standards with sixth place in a fast run race. Another fine ‘DO’ and the evening social showed us that this race retains its top rating. Bill McPherson, Ernie Letley and their Committee can expect us back on 23rd August 1975. Meanwhile we can muse over Raymond Hutcheson’s complete results booklet.

(We have recently received a cutting from Chris Holloway of Tipton Harriers which reads as follows: “HARRIERS HAND OVER TANKARDS: Tipton Harriers will have made a lot of friends in America with a sporting gesture at the end of the thirty six and a half miles Two Bridges Race in Scotland in which they finished second to Aberdeen AAC. The Tipton men received tankards as their prizes and these they immediately handed over to the team from Washington Sports Club who finished third. Ron Bentley who finished eleventh, but still won the prize for being first veteran, said,” There were only ordinary prizes for third team so we thought the American chaps would like the tankards to take back with them.” Tipton’s second place was all the more meritotious for the fact that Allan Richards pulled a muscle at eight miles but was first man across the finishing line. He was fourth in the individual placings with Mick Orton (8), Ken Rock (10) and Bill Carr (14). Tipton’s other four finishers were B teamers John Malpass (23), Tony Burkitt (25), Darrell McWhirter (30) and Gordon Bentley(35).” Chris reckons the clipping is from one of the two local papers, The Express & Star or The Herald which are well known Black Country papers.)

1. Jim Wight (EAC) 3:26:31; 2. Rab Heron (Aberdeen AAC) 3:32:04; 3. Alastair Wood (1st veteran, Aberdeen AAC) 3:32:43; 4. Alan Richards (Tipton) 3:34:47; 5. Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen AAC) 3:36:58; 6. Bob Thurston (Washington, USA) 3:37:53; 7. Don Macgregor (ESH) 3:40:45; 8. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:41:55; 9. Alex Wight (EAC) 3:43:06; 10. K Rock (Tipton) 3:41:55. First team: Aberdeen AAC. 52 finished.

1975

At the start Cavin Woodward was ready for blast-off and he duly shot away to such an effect that he was almost two minutes up on the field at five miles and three minutes up at ten miles (54:59) on the trio of Alan Richards, Mick Orton and Colin Youngson (57:53). Youngson came from that great source of class road runners, Aberdeen, but was now running for Edinburgh Southern Harriers. 15 miles was passed by Woodward in 1:23:26, with the next three in 1:26:50. At 20 miles Woodward clocked 1:51:27 with the same three locked behind together at 1:55:04. Behind them, Alan Radcliffe and George Kay were surprising in their first ultra-marathon race. The pressure was on as they mounted the sharp hill before 25 miles. Youngson and Orton pushed ahead of Richards with Orton making the pace. They were both slowly pulling back the lone leader. (25 miles Woodward 2:20:55 and marathon 2:27:44; Orton 2:23:55 and 2:30:40; Youngson 2:23:55 and 2:30:44). However by 30 miles (2:50:04) Woodward was holding them again to a gap of just over three minutes (2:53:13). As the long grind across the Forth Bridge approached it was Youngson who emerged in a clear second place. Times at 35 miles: Woodward 3:20:02, Youngson 3:23:21 and Orton 3:24:23. There was no holding Cavin Woodward, and he came rushing into the finish for a fine run, just two and a half minutes outside Alex Wight’s record. Colin Youngson had a great run, and we hope to see him attempting these distances again, while Mick Orton appears to be coming back to form.

The race itself is only part of the weekend and a good time was had by all at the social afterwards, by getting those tired limbs moving in other directions and by quenching parched throats. We look forward to the Bridges weekend, and those who haven’t tried it yet, well you’re missing something!

1. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:26:45; 2. Colin Youngson (ESH) 3:29:44; 3. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:31:52; 4. Alan Richards (Tipton) 3:33:35; 5. Alan Radcliffe (RN)(Pitreavie AC) 3:26:28; 6. George Kay (Barnsley RRC)

3:42:08; 7. Bill Carr (Tipton) 3:49:00; 8. Michael Coventry (Mitcham AC) 3:49:20; 9. GD Archer (Hillingdon AC) 3:51:10; 10. Darryl McWhirter (1st veteran: Tipton) 3:52:01. First team: Tipton Harriers. 69 entered. 52 finished.

A MAJOR FEATURE OF THIS GREAT RACE WAS THE AMAZINGLY DETAILED RESULTS BOOKLET, posted out by Raymond Hutcheson and his team of expert timekeepers. Here are some excerpts from the 1975 souvenir edition – plus the certificate.

1976

This year, after the Kincardine Bridge, the race follows the south bank of the estuary eastwards towards Falkirk, and through the industrial area of Grangemouth, over the Forth Bridge to the Civil Services Club at Rosyth. This club, led by E.C. Letley, is the heart and soul of this well-organised event, which provides a good weekend for all those who journey to Scotland. Half of this year’s competitors came either from south of the border or from the USA. The weather was good, a bright sunny morning but not too warm.

After the leading group had split up, Mick Orton and Sandy Keith led the field. Fred Howell took third place some minutes behind. The two leaders were shoulder to shoulder through 15 miles and up the hill to 20 miles until 25 miles where Keith stopped for a drink and Orton went ahead. With the impressive structure of the Forth Bridge coming nearer and nearer, the Tipton man increased his lead steadily to win by nearly six minutes. Keith had to surrender second place to Howell on the Forth Bridge. Fourth was Alan Radcliffe of the Royal Navy. Max White, seventh, was the first of the visiting athletes from abroad.

1. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:27:58; 2. Fred Howell (Tipton/Army) 3:33:53; 3. Sandy Keith (EAC) 3:38:01; 4. Alan Radcliffe (RN) 3:39:45; 5. Joe Keating (Ealing and Southall AC) 3:40:22; 6. Ian Burgess (Southampton and Eastleigh AC) 3:43:31; 7. Max White (Washington Running Club, USA) 3:48:55; 8. Ken Mayor (Bolton United Harriers) 3:49:52; 9. Dave Francis (Cupar and Fife) 3:50:10; 10. Graham Bennison (Bolton United Harriers) 3:58:33.

First team: Bolton United Harriers 29 points; second Tipton 30 points. 1st veteran Ron Bentley (Tipton) 13th 4:03.28. 52 finished.

Culross

1977

This year’s race was the best yet. Who could believe that Mick Orton would be leading on the Forth Bridge, then after fading only a little, finish sixth? Such was the quality in depth of this year’s runners. From the start the pace was fast, with Orton, Woodward and Ritchie locked together at 5 miles (27:19) and 10 miles (54:44) and with Joe Keating, Alex Wight, Fred Howell and Alan Radcliffe only 30 seconds behind. Through 15 miles (1:23:20) and 20 miles (1:51:39) Orton blasted on with Ritchie at his heels and Woodward hanging on grimly. Orton broke away on the steep hill out of Bo’ness and shot through 25 miles in 2:20:21, a minute clear of Ritchie with Woodward another 26 seconds down, and Wight, Howell and Keating a little strung out but keeping up a fast pace.

At 30 miles Orton was still a minute clear (2:49:59) with Ritchie having been joined by Alex Wight, who as course record holder was making a tremendous effort and had passed Woodward. On the Forth Bridge, Wight swept past Orton into the lead. But something stirred inside Cavin Woodward’s deep resources. he picked up the pace to pass all three by the time he had climbed the hill into Inverkeithing. By 35 miles (3:21:02 he was a minute clear and now it was all over. Cavin covered that hilly five miles in well inside six minute miling. He received a great reception at the finish and seems to have returned to full fitness after an injury-plagued year. Ritchie’s form has been such that he was a little disappointed with second place in front of Wight who made such a magnificent effort in the late stages. Howell and Keating chases and chased all the race but never quite got on terms with the leaders. Sixth was a tired Orton after a great effort to win the race from the front.

Not far back, Robin Y.P. Thomas surprised all to win the handicap with a great run in his first attempt at the distance. With 60 finishers including three Americans and a good social evening to come, it was yet another success story for the organisers and another ‘must’ next year for the athletes.

1. Cavin Woodward (Lamington Cycling and AC) 3:27:10; 2. Donald Ritchie (Forres Harriers) 3:28:34; 3. Alex Wight (EAC) 3:29:08; 4. Fred Howell (Tipton/Army) 3;29:51; 5. Joe Keating (Ealing and S) 3:30:51;

6. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:32:18; 7. Ian Burgess (Southampton and E) 3:36:44; 8. Alan Radcliffe (Pitreavie AAC/Royal Navy) 3:29:23; 9. Robin Thomas (Edinburgh University AC) 3:40:04; 10. Mike Newton (South London Harriers)

3:40:14. First team: Tipton Harriers. 1st veteran George Kay (Barnsley RRC) 12th 3:48:25.

1978

There was a record field with experienced men like Ritchie, Orton, Woodward, Heron Keating, Hampton and Howell facing Jim Dingwall, Scottish marathon representative at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games, Andy Holden, Tipton’s international steeplechaser and Ian Leonard, a 2:21 marathoner from Rhodesia.

Heron and Leonard were just in the lead at five miles (27:16) but six swept through ten miles together (55:07). By 15 miles (1:22:57) entering Grangemouth, Heron and Leonard were 30 seconds clear with Orton, Ritchie and Woodward timed at 1:23:31. 20 miles was reached by the two leaders in 1:50:42, Orton and Woodward (1:51:38) had now dropped the Brighton holder, Ritchie, (1:53:00) with Keating (1:54:30) still hanging on. Holden unfortunately didn’t get much further than 20 miles, but let’s hope he sees the event as a challenge now. The marathon distance was reached by Rab Heron, now out on his own in 2:26:13. Could he win the race from the front as he had so nearly done in Brighton (when he eventually finished second to Ritchie)?

Then Woodward started another amazing charge, and he was only four seconds behind Heron at 30 miles (2:49:24). After that Woodward ran away steadily with Heron slipping behind only a little and Orton trying to hold off Keating who was definitely gaining. Yet the order stayed the same until the end of a truly top-class race. Jim Dingwall ran steadily and sensibly. Since he lived in Falkirk, Jim succeeded in finishing first local resident (12th place 3.50.25).

1. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:24:45. 2. Rab Heron (Brighton AC) 3:26:22; 3. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:28:09; 4. Joe Keating (Blaydon H) 3:28:37; 5. Donald Ritchie (Forres H) 3:32:49; 6. Ian Leonard (Rhodes AC, Rhodesia) 3:37:58; 7. Martin Thomson (Leamington) 3:38:00; 8. Fred Howell (Wrexham/Army) 3:40:49; 9. Ken Mayor (Bolton United H) 3:42:21; 10. George Kay (1st veteran, Stafford AC) 3:44:09.

Team: Leamington Cycling and AC. A record 72 finished.

1979

Cavin Woodward, unbeaten on this course, was hot favourite. Two interesting entrants were Bermuda Marathon winner Andy Holden and Alan McGhee, the 1977 Fell Runner of the Year. Five miles (27:14) and ten miles (55:18) were passed by Heron, McGhee, Graves, Paul Livesey, Cavin Woodward and Ross MacDonald, with Andy Holden a few yards behind. Holden, Heron, Livesey and McGhee zoomed past 15 miles in 84 minutes, with Woodward and Graves not far behind. Woodward was forced to stop temporarily with leg problems. Heron and Holden were edging away at 20 miles (1:52:19) but were locked together in the lead at 25 miles (2:21:04). By the marathon distance (2:27:57) they were three minutes clear of McGhee. Woodward was beginning to make up ground, ahead of Graves. Livesey had retired. By 30 miles, Holden (2:49:51) had opened up a gap on his fellow red-head, Heron (2:50:32). Woodward (2:54:43) and Graves (2:57:28) had overtaken a tiring McGhee, who was now being pressed by Smith and Daykin. Holden extended his lead past 35 miles (3:19:07) and finished two and a half minutes clear of the unfortunate Heron who was runner-up for the third time. Woodward was a gallant third, well clear of fine debuts from Daykin and Smith. Holden, the former UK 3000m steeplechase record holder, displayed a fine sense of pace throughout unlike Alan McGhee (only 21 years old) who had the consolation of leading his Bolton comrades (Graham Bennison, 13th in 3:51:36) and Tommy Parr) to team victory.

1. Andy Holden (Tipton Harriers) 3:25:34; 2. Rab Heron (Brighton and Hove AC) 3:28:05; 3. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:31:36; 4. Martin Daykin (Gloucester AC 3:38:26; 5. Alan Smith (Burton AC) 3:38:38;

6. Ian Graves (Fife AC) 3:39:14; 7. Mark Pritchard (Epsom and Ewell 3:42:01; 8. Stephen Wright (unattached) 3:42:49; 9. Dave Attwell (Altrincham and District) 3:46:10; 10. Dave Francis (1st local, Fife AC) 3:50:05

First team: Bolton United Harriers First veteran: Tommy Parr (Bolton) 15th 3:54:08. 70 runners finished.

The winning Bolton team in 1979: Graham Bennison holding the trophy, Tommy Parr (1st Veteran) and Alan McGhee

1980

The usual enthusiasm was evident as soon as we clocked in again at the Rosyth race headquarters, with all the runners welcomed like old friends, no matter whether fast or slow. 75 started. The early leaders through five miles (29:36) were Rab Heron, Mick Orton, Andy Holden, Martin Daykin and Ian Graves. The pace hotted up: 10 miles (58:18) and along to the outskirts of Grangemouth (15 miles) where Holden and Heron clocked 1:26:38, with Daykin and Graves (1:28:20) and Francis and Bennison (1:29:43). Colin Youngson looked dangerous in the next place in 1:30:58, with newcomer to the distance, John Lamont, another Aberdonian now living in London.

On past the oil refineries and 20 miles was hit in 1:53:24 by Heron and Holden, with Orton in 1:55:59, Daykin and Graves (1:58:08) and Youngson moving up in 1:58:49. Out of Bo’ness and on to the hilly section. Holden made his break, reaching 25 miles in 2:20:43 to Heron’s 2:21:35 a long way clear of Orton (2:27:02) with Youngson now fourth (2:27:59) and Daykin moving away from Graves. Holden passed the marathon distance in 2:27:27, just outside record pace. He was moving really well now, with successive five mile splits from 20 to 35 miles of 27:19, 27:28 and 27:27, incredible running in the second half of the race, which brought him back inside record schedule. His 30 mile time was 2:48:11 with Heron 2:50:27 and Daykin running strongly in third (2:57:54), Youngson (2:58:07) and Orton (2:58:46). Holden passed 35 miles in 3:15:38 (Heron 3:20:22, Daykin 3:27:37, Youngson 3:30:56 and Orton 3:32:42)

So we had a new record from Andy Holden in 3:21:46, with Rab Heron second in a fine 3:26:54, and Martin Daykin third. Dave Dowdle came through late in the race to take sixth place and John Watkins had a good run for SLH. There was a keen tussle for the veteran award with George Kay remaining two or three minutes in front of John Cock of Epsom and Ewell. Everyone’s a winner in this race. None more so than Ken Shaw (Cambridge AC) who was feted in the evening for having run and finished in all thirteen races. Thanks again to the organiser Ernie Letley and his gang. we can pore over Raymond Hutcheson’s detailed Result Brochure of the race before we gather again next year.

1. Andy Holden (Tipton H) 3:21:46; 2. Rab Heron (Brighton and Hove) 3:26:54; 3. Martin Daykin (Gloucester AC) 3:34:07; 4. Colin Youngson (ESH) 3:38:23; 5. Mick Orton (Tipton) 3:40:25; 6. Dave Dowdle (Gloucester) 3:42:05;

7. John Lamont (Aberdeen AAC) 3:44:13; 8. Dave Francis (Fife AC) 3:44:23; 9. John Watkins (South London H) 3:44:34; 10. George Kay (1st veteran, Stafford AC) 3:45:31 First Team: Tipton Harriers.

The Start, Early 1980’s, Graham Bennison, Bolton UH (23) with Ron Bentley beside him.

1981

Unfortunately there is no report of this race although the results are available below. Mark Pickard started ultra-distance running phenomenally young. In 1981 he was only 21 years old and had a great year: setting a new British record for the 24 hours track event with 163 miles/263 kilometres. After this victory in the Two Bridges he went on to finish second in the London to Brighton race only three minutes down on the outstanding Bruce Fordyce from South Africa. In 1988 Mark actually won the London to Brighton when he came through late with some wonderful running on a long hilly section crossing the South Downs. He suffered a lot of injury during his career and wrote very well about his successes and disappointments in “Evidence of a Misspent Youth”.

Mark wrote about his Two Bridges win in his book. “Before the start, from past experience I ate nothing. Some of the others commented that I wouldn’t get very far without food. I proved them wrong in the best possible way, winning by a margin of over eight and a half minutes. I think that it was Don Turner who said afterwards that the proof of the pudding was in the eating of it – or not, as the case might be! The race went like a dream. Conscious of the fact that I had probably started too slowly in the Woodend to Southend 40 I set off rather more quickly here, breaking away from the group I had been with at about 20 miles, before taking the lead from Cavin Woodward on the long climb out of Bo’ness at around 22 miles. I felt comfortable running the last 14 miles on my own, recording 2:29:50 for the marathon and passing a very surprised-looking group of camera-clicking Japanese tourists as I came off the Forth Bridge, before completing the 36 miles 158 yards course in 3:26:01. This was the sixth fastest time ever but well off Andy Holden’s course record of 3:21:46 set the previous year. My 5 mile splits were: 28:19, 28:56, 29:20, 28:26, 28:14, 28:20 and 28:15 with 6:11 for the 1 mile 158 yards giving an average pace of 5:42 per mile. Andy Holden didn’t run on this occasion. If I remember correctly though, it was him I spoke to afterwards about my racing plans. He told me to be careful that I didn’t hurt myself – prophetic words indeed as things were to turn out. It was the first open road race that I had ever won, and I was quite delighted. At the presentation I received a radio/cassette player (something I had always wanted), a statuette to keep and the massive Two Bridges Cup. The race is famous for its ‘evening after’ celebrations and at about midnight I was lifted shoulder high and carried around the room.” .

Clive Rutland had completed the first London Marathon in 1981 in 2:27. He trained very hard with clubmates like Fergus Gillies, a Scottish marathon runner, and apparently his training included not only one long run on a Sunday but also another midweek. This dedication paid dividends in the Two Bridges which was undoubtedly one of his finest performances. Dave Dowdle reached his peak in May 1982 in a 24 hour road race in Gloucester. Helped for much of the way by his team mate Martin Daykin, who was a very successful international ultra-runner, Dave set a marvellous world best of 170 miles 974 yards/274.480 km. His training for this event had peaked at 240 miles in a week!

1. Mark Pickard (Epesom and Ewell H) 3:26:01; 2. Clive Rutland (Banbury H) 3:33:33; 3. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:39:16; 4. Alan Richards (Tipton) 3:41:21; 5. Martin Daykin (Gloucester AC) 3:42:03;

6. John Watkins (SLH) 3:42:59; 7. Frank Thomas (Chelmsford AC) 3:43:46; 8. Dave Dowdle (Gloucester AC) 3:43:52; 9. G Smith (Tipton) 3:46:24; 10. Dave Francis (Fife AC) 3:46:38; 11. George Kay (1st veteran, Stafford) 3:46:45.

First Team: Tipton H 32 pts; second team: Gloucester AC 33 pts.

1982

A record field of 115 started. Immediately, Charlie Trayer, the strong challenger from Reading RRC, USA, set off alone followed by a group of five – Daykin, Johnson, Watkins and the Fife AC pair of Ian Graves and Bob Pemble. This group reached 5 miles in 28:25 with Trayer 13 seconds ahead. In the run through Culross to Longannet against a strong west wind, the chasing group dropped Pemble but by 10 miles (56;59) had been joined by Clive Rutland and Chris O’Carroll of Gloucester AC. Over the Kincardine Bridge and now with a following wind, by 15 miles(1:26:07) the pace had increased. Johnston and Daykin forged ahead, the former reaching 20 miles in 1:53:18, a minute in front of Daykin, with Watkins, Rutland, Graves and Ttayer 3 minutes adrift.

The first steep hill widened the gap, when Tim Johnston, the former international track and marathon star, now a veteran of 41, took a two and a half minute lead over Martin Daykin at 25 miles and reached the marathon distance in 2:28:17. Maintaining a sensible pace, Johnston went on to reach 30 miles in 2:50:54, still two and a half minutes ahead. Further back both Dave Francis and Les Davis were making a strong move forward. Watkins’ third place was being threatened by Trayer. Crossing the Forth Bridge it looked doubtful if the leader would become the first veteran winner, as Daykin was gaining with every mile and finishing strongly. However Tim did hang on to reach the Rosyth Civil Service Sports Centre just 32 seconds in front of Martin, who has now filled the 5th to 2nd places in four successive years. John Watkins held on to 3rd place, 3 minutes ahead of Charlie Trayer, who becomes the highest placed overseas competitor in this event, with Dave Francis 5th and Les Davis 6th.

1. Tim Johnston (1st veteran, Portsmouth) 3:28:36; 2. Martin Daykin (Gloucester AC) 3:29:08; 3. John Watkins (South London Harriers) 3:35:16; 4. Charlie Trayer (USA) 3:38:18; 5. Dave Francis (Fife AC) 3:34:06;

6. Les Davis (Gloucester) 3:43:02; 7. Clive Rutland (Banbury) 3:44:13; 8. M Reid (VPH) 3:46:08; 9. Richard Dalby (Harrogate) 3:47:44; 10. George Kay (Stafford AC) 3:48:25;

First team: Gloucester AC (Daykin, Davis, Ken Leyshon 16th in 3:55:26. 104 finished.

Billy Carr (Tipton)

1983

A record number of 126 started. There was bright sunshine, high humidity, and the prospect of a keen duel between ultra greats Don Ritchie and Cavin Woodward. For the first 5 miles, Dave Francis moved out in front followed by Woodward, Ritchie and Sam (or Ian) Graves but by 10 miles (58:11) all four were together. However on the Kincardine Bridge, Woodward and Ritchie broke away. By 20 miles (1:56:30) 25 miles (2:26:37) and 30 miles (2:57:55) the two leaders matched stride for stride and were now six minutes ahead of Graves, Francis and Jim Ulvestad (USA). The strong east wind on the Forth Road Bridge was troublesome and it was here that Don Ritchie made the first positive move forward, breaking away to become the first Scot to win this event since 1974, some 31 seconds in front of Cavin Woodward, who had dominated the ultra-marathon events so far this year. Meanwhile Allan Hardy produced a stirring finish to move up four places in the last four miles to finish third. The Fife AC pair stayed together to clinch fourth and fifth in front of another strong finisher, Bruce Robinson, who passed his tiring team mate to take sixth place. When Ian Mitchell appeared in 33rd position, the Fife AC team stole the team prize from the Americans, thus becoming the first Scottish winners since 1974. First lady was Mary Williams (Washington RC, USA) in 4:47:50.

1. Don Ritchie (Forres Harriers) 3:34:39; 2. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:35:10; 3. Allan Hardy (Burnham Joggers) 3:44:04; 4. Samuel (Ian) Graves (Fife AC) 3:46:15; 5. Dave Francis (Fife AC) 3:46:15; 6. Bruce Robinson (Washington RC, USA) 3:49:41; 7. Paul Taylor (Woodstock H) 3:51:09; 8. James Ulvestad (Washington RC) 3:52:26; 9. Graham Smith (Tipton H) 3:55:04; 10. Eric Ratcliffe (Bingley H) 3:55:34; 11. Vic Gutteridge (1st veteran, Hillingdon AC) 4:00:36. A record 109 finished. First team: Fife AC (Graves, Francis, Ian Mitchell)

1983: Killer Hill: 22 Miles

Don and Cavin ‘rehydrating’ after the 1983 race (photo by Graham McIndoe)

The Line-Up, 1984

1984

115 started on a sunny but breezy day. After the usual fast start it took until 10 miles (55:25) before Don Ritchie and Allan Hardy (who had finished third the previous year) had gained 16 seconds on Charlie Trayer, the US 50km champion, and Barry Heath who was running his first Two Bridges. Two minutes behind were Woodward, Graves, O’Connell and Tom Glare. Hardy was dropped in Grangemouth and at 20 miles (1:54:33) Ritchie, Heath and Trayer were stride for stride. About 5 minutes adrift were Woodward, Hardy, Glare, Graves struggling and John Morgan showing well. Carriden Brae (killer hill) did not affect the leaders, although Allan Hardy evidently began to regret his very fast early pace.

Ritchie and Heath stayed together while the American tried several times to get away only to drop back to the other two. All three reached 25 miles (2:25:40) and 30 miles (2:56:29) together. It was a surprise to many pundits that the apparently least experienced runner, Barry Heath, took a sixty yard lead on the Forth Road Bridge and, running very strongly, went further ahead to reach the finish three minutes ahead of Don Ritchie whose time was just eight seconds slower than the previous year when he won the race. (Barry further proved his excellent form when just a few weeks after this, he won the London to Brighton race, defeating Don into second once more). Charlie Trayer, only six seconds behind Ritchie and improving his PB by three and a half minutes became the highest ever places overseas competitor in this event. These three leaders had about seven minutes to enjoy the cans of SKOL lager which were handed to each competitor on arrival, before Cavin Woodward hung on to fourth, ahead of Tom Glare and Andrew Morgan. The redoubtable Ken Shaw in 50th place maintained his record of finishing in all 17 Two Bridges races so far.

1. Barry Heath (Royal Marines) 3:31:45; 2. Don Ritchie (1sr veteran, Forres H) 3:34:47; 3. Charlie Trayer (USA) 3:34:53; 4. Cavin Woodward (Leamington) 3:43:02; 5. Tom Glare (Woodstock H) 3:43:41; 6. John Morgan (Cambridge)

3:44:37; 7. Martin Thomson (Leamington) 3:46:41; 8. Graham Smith (Tipton) 3:47:10; 9. Sam Graves (Fife) 3:49:42; 10. S Bennett (Teviotdale) 3:49:52; 11. Andrew Battye (Woodstock H) 12, M Williams (USA) 3:50:28;

13. Paul Williams (Woodstock) 3:51:13; 1st Woman was Sandra Kiddy (USA) 4:19:13 1st Team: Woodstock Harriers. 103 finished.

1985

Start: 1985

Who could challenge Cavin Woodward as he attempted to win the event for the fifth time? 95 starters were soon affected by the strong west wind. At 5 miles (29:44) Woodward and Andrew Battye were closely followed by the Epsom pair Mark Pickard and Mike Coventry. The two leaders were three minutes ahead at 10 miles (59:52) while the chasing bunch were joined by Lawrence Taylor and David Kelly. Fifteen miles (1:30:22) and 20 miles (1:59:26) kept the two leaders together but it was evident that this was the slowest run for several years. Graham Flatters started to improve his position reaching sixth by 25 miles. Meanwhile Woodward had made a break at Carriden Brae but was hauled back by Andrew Battye who was five minutes ahead of Taylor and only one and a half minutes behind Woodward at the marathon mark (2:37:25).

The two leaders reached 30 miles in 3:02:24 but again had to contend with the strong side wind while crossing the Forth Road Bridge which again slowed the pace. Maintaining his lead of almost two minutes Woodward passed 35 miles in 3:21:19, and then ran in to the finish in a time just 15 minutes slower than his first win in 1973. Andrew Battye finished in good style; it was a further ten minutes before Lawrence Taylor and Graham Flatters arrived with the latter achieving the fastest last six miles.

1. Cavin Woodward (Leamington Cycling and AC) 3:40:40; 2. Andrew Battye (Woodstock H) 3:41:51; 3. Lawrence Taylor (Cambridge H) 3:51:17; 4. Graham Flatters (Dundee Hawkhill H) 3:51:25; 5. David Kelly (Barrow-in-Furness AC)

3:54:12; 6. Mark Pickard (Epsom and Ewell H) 3:56:16; 7. Tony Lenagan (1st Veteran, Wigan Harriers) 3:58:41; 8. Graham Smith (M40, Tipton) 3:59:40; 9. A Evason (M40, Tipton) 4:03:51; 10. Bob Emmerson (M50, Rugby and District

AC 4:04:30; 11. F Tunley (M40, Woodstock H) 4:06:25; 12. Ian Mitchell (Fife AC) 4:08:03. First Woman: Anne Franklyn (Mynyddwyr de Cymru FRC) 4:17:33 (record).

First team: Tipton Harriers 36 pts; Second team: Epsom and Ewell 38 pts. First Scot and first local: Ian Mitchell.

1986

105 started. On a warm day the youngest competitor, Bill Evans, dashed into a lead and arrived at five miles in 27:56 followed by a group moving at a more realistic pace including Cavin Woodward, Don Ritchie and Richard Dalby. By ten miles (57:12) the chasing group had been joined by Mike McHale of Pitreavie AC some 16 seconds behind Evans. Woodward was evidently in some difficulty and fell back. Through Grangemouth and on to Bo’ness, Dalby moved up to join Evans with Ritchie just eight seconds behind. However Evans raced up Carriden Brae to take a 50 second lead over Ritchie who was relentlessly maintaining a five and a half minutes per mile pace. The marathon point was reached in 2 hours 33 minutes where Ritchie passed Evans while Dalby was having a bad spell, dropping to fourth as McHale joined Evans. The long haul up to the 30 mile point (2:56:09) saw many changes of position with the experienced Alan Evason of Tipton and Andrew Battye moving into a challenging position. The Forth Road Bridge inspired Dalby to regain second place from McHale. A very large crowd at the finish greeted Don Ritchie who arrived in 3:36:37, followed by Richard Dalby and Mike McHale who was the first local finisher. The youngster Bill Evans found the last six miles very difficult and was passed by his clubmate Alan Evason, Andrew Battye and Dave Attwell, who ran the last ten miles faster than all except the winner. Don Ritchie won the Two Bridges Trophy, the first Scot award and the Veterans Shield. but generously passed the latter on to Alan Evason.

There was a report in ‘Scotland’s Runner’ about the 1986 race by Bob Holmes an extract of which is reprinted here: “Its origins are classic, its organisation superb and for 19 years a friendly atmosphere has made it the best loved ultra in Great Britain. The Two Bridges 36 miler is a throwback to the good old days when club runners would travel the length of the land to run their guts out for a free beer, an early results sheet and a knees-up afterwards, and in the Kingdom of Fife the Corinthian spirit shows no signs of flagging.

Nor does Don Ritchie. After driving 160 miles from his Lossiemouth home, the 42 year old Forres Harrier overcame a hamstring injury, a rare spell of indifferent form and the customary challenge from south of the border to take this year’s title on August 23rd. The Scot had almost two and a half minutes to spare on the fast finishing Yorkshireman Richard Dalby, while Pitreavie’s Mike McHale ran a magnificent debut ultra for third place a minute and a half further back. Altogether 95 runners successfully negotiated the undulating course in traditionally sunny conditions.

But there could have been no more appropriate winner than the unassuming college lecturer who still holds more world records than Steve Cram and Seb Coe combined yet has received only the briefest mention in dispatches and not so much as a brown envelope in appearance money. And, characteristically, when he was awarded his prizes as overall winner, first Scot and first vet he promptly unloaded what, for him, was an embarrassment of riches to his nearest rivals. If Ritchie’s action momentarily turned the presentation ceremony into a session of “pass the parcel” – the recipient of the veteran’s award, Alan Evason, immediately handed it on to a Tipton team-mate – it was done in the spirit which the founders of this famous race would have approved. Indeed, it was not entirely inappropriate that a 20 year old van driver, Billy Evans should end up with the old man’s prize for he had certainly put years on Don by hanging on to the finish after leading for 27 miles….

It’s not often that the hero of the race is the guy who comes seventh, but I’m sure that none of the first half dozen would argue that the gutsy lad from the Midlands deserves this accolade. Out for a training run, Evans not only found himself in the lead at five miles, but inside the record-breaking pace set by clubmate Andy Holden in 1980. With a marathon personal best of 2:40 and a Birmingham League 800 metres race on the track the following Wednesday, he was not expected to be a threat, but when he had not come back to them bu the marathon mark(which he reached in 2:32) the old hands behind were beginning to take him seriously.

Ritchie finally overhauled him on a hill at 27 miles and from then on a twinge in the Scot’s hamstring posed more of a threat than the chasing pack. Experience saw him to his second Two Bridges title, although his 3:36:37 was slower than his previous (1983) winning time and almost 15 minutes outside Holden’s record (3:21:46). With Evans finally fading, 35 year old Dunfermline labourer, Mike McHale, ran the race of his life to take third place behind Dalby but Edinburgh-born New York runner, Norrie Williamson, was the only other Scot in the top ten.”

1. Don Ritchie (Forres H) 3:36:37; 2. Richard Dalby (Nidd) 3:39:00; 3. Mike McHale (Pitreavie 3:40:38; 4. Alan Evason (Tipton) 3:42:50; 5. Andrew Battye (Woodstock) 3:44:44; 6. Dave Atwell (Altrincham) 3:45:03; 7. Bill Evans (Tipton) 3:47:39; 8. Dave Dowdle (Gloucester) 3:47:41; 9. C Woodward ((Leamington) 3:49:52; 10. N Williamson (New York) 3:51:03

1st Woman: Morag Taggart (Pitreavie) 4:40:25. 95 finished.

First team: Tipton Harriers; Second team: Pitreavie AC

1987

The temperature became uncomfortably hot after the first hour of this race. As the runners settled down, Don Ritchie, last year’s winner, led a group with Charlie Trayer the main challenger from the USA close up, along with local runners Mike McHale and Sam Graves (Fife AC). By ten miles (56:10) this group were four minutes ahead of the next one containing Tipton clubmates Alan Evason and Billy Evans, who was more restrained compared to his tearaway tactics last year – and this eventually paid dividends. Graves dropped back at 15 miles and by 20 miles Trayer and Ritchie had fifty yards on McHale. The heat affected everyone, and Trayer, much more used to these conditions, seemed to sense victory as he moved ahead up ‘Killer Hill’. He had forged a minute lead on Ritchie by 25 miles (2:25:36) with McHale a further two minutes down. However the Tipton duo had moved up to third and fourth only five minutes behind the leader at the marathon mark.

At 30 miles, Trayer was almost four minutes ahead, and the Tipton pair had gained a minute on Ritchie. on the Forth Road Bridge Evans made his move, while Eamon Dorling was also making progress. The American runner Charlie Trayer was not to be caught, however, and reached the finish as the very first overseas victor in 3:36:27. A tiring Don Ritchie was passed by Billy Evans one mile from home. Another notable performance was from prolific marathoner Ken Shaw, who completed the course for the 20th time in this 20th race over the Two Bridges course.

1. Charlie Trayer (Reading RRC, USA) 3:36:27; 2. Billy Evans (Tipton) 3:40:53; 3. Don Ritchie (Forres Harriers) 3:41:19; 4. Eamonn Dorling (Peterborough AC) 3:43:03; 5. Alan Evason (Tipton) 3:44:42; 6. William Sparrow

(Manchester AC) 3:47:41; 7. Mike McHale (Pitreavie, 1st local) 3:51:55; 8. Tony Lenagan (Wigan Phoenix AC) 3:52:28; 9. Adrian Higgs (Cheltenham and County H) 3:52:43; 10. William J Knox (Teviotdale H) 3:54:27.

1st Woman: Cathy Gunner (Staffordshire Moorlands) 55th in 4:46:20. First Team: Tipton Harriers. 97 finished.

1988

A record field of 133 starters set off into a strong south-west wind. Immediately, Charlie Trayer of the USA, last year’s winner, set the pace followed by the course specialist and five times winner, Cavin Woodward. Also running strongly at 5 miles (28:05) was Mike McHale and Harry Clague (St Helen’s AC). Meanwhile the eventual winner was safely tucked in behind a group of seven runners, some two minutes behind. The ten mile mark was reached first by McHale (58:15) a minute ahead of Trayer and Woodward with Clague close behind. After crossing Kincardine Bridge and turning eastwards some relief was felt from the strong headwinds. McHale, Clague and Woodward reached 20 miles (1:58:23) at Bo’ness together, while Bill Evans was only a minute behind having caught Trayer. At Carriden Brae (22 miles) the younger man made his decisive move to catch and pass the leading three, reaching 25 miles in 2:28:10 and the marathon point in 2:35:18. Clague was forced to withdraw with severe stomach pains. McHale was second and Woodward maintained a steady speed with Trayer hanging on to fourth place.

By 30 miles Woodward had caught Mchale, some three minutes behind Evans (2:57:38) and Andrew Battye had moved forward strongly to join Trayer a further three minutes adrift. Turning on to the Forth Road Bridge, the sidewind slowed McHale who was passed by both Woodward and Battye, but Bill Evans was comfortably ahead and reached the finish at the Civil Service Sports Centre in Rosyth to win his club’s favourite road race at the third attempt, having previously been seventh and second. Cavin Woodward was next followed by Andrew Battye. Charlie Trayer and Mike McHale were clearly spent, the defending champion finishing nine minutes slower than his 1987 winning time. All finishers were presented with a special commemorative plaque celebrating the 21st consecutive annual running of Scotland’s prestige ultra-marathon, supplied by Colonial and Mutual Insurance to the organisers of the Rosyth Civil Service Sports Association. A special presentation plaque was awarded to Ken Shaw of Aldbourne AC who had the unique achievement of completing all 21 Two Bridges Races to date.

1. Bill Evans (Tipton Harriers) 3:35:51; 2. Cavin Woodward (1st veteran, Leamington C&AC) 3:39:55; 3. Andrew Battye (Woodstock H) 3:41:19; 4. Charlie Trayer (Team Etronio, USA) 3:43:35; 5. Mike McHale (1st Scot and 1st Local)

3:50:05; 6. Alan Smith (Tipton) 3:52:27; 7. Alan Evason (M40, Tipton) 3:53:20; 8. Mich Francis (1st Armed Forces: Forres Harriers) 3:53:57; 9. Richard Dalby (Imperial AC) 4:00:36; 10. S Johnston (Les Croupiers RRC) 4:01:30.

First Woman: Dorothy Lucas and Irene Wilson 107th equal in 6:17:34. 111 Finished. First Team: Tipton Harriers (Evans, Smith, Evason); Second Team: Pitreavie AC (McHale, Ian Mitchell 11th, Frank Coyle 25th)

1989

There is no race report available but the winner has sent me the following information. “Gwyn Williams was a very strong and durable runner who had finished runner-up to Mark Pickard in the 1988 London to Brighton Race. In addition he won and set a Welsh track record of 6:53 – which still stands – in a 100km race in Nantes. His mate ‘Chalkie’ White, used to travel with Gwyn to races and to supply special drinks. On this occasion, Chalkie agreed to drive both Gwyn and Mick from Wales to Rosyth. Mick says that staying at Rosyth was great because although the accommodation was basic, it was a fascinating opportunity to meet and chat with some real battle hardened competitors.

The race was held in heavy rain and it was quite cold. Mick started very easily and didn’t go anywhere near the front. he had done very little specific ultra training but was normally on 90 miles a week! His ten mile time was 58:40 and he caught the leaders almost by accident, before putting in a little surge on the Kincardine Bridge to see who would respond. No one did. Having got away, he tried to run as evenly as he could, wary of the big hill at 22 miles and concerned about how exposed the crossing of the Forth Bridge at 30 miles might be. He went through the marathon in 2:35 and still felt fine. he was getting his pre-arranged drinks at the feed stations as well as a few extra from Chalkie, who told Mick how he was ahead, and more importantly, that he was still going away, and Gwyn was second. Crossing the Bridge was very touch, the rain was very heavy and Mick was starting to get cold, so he was absolutely delighted to make it to the finish three and a half minutes clear, to be the first Welshman to win it and be part of a Welsh 1-2. At the presentation (Mick is not known to be shy) he asked to speak from the stage, thanking the marshals who had been out in such terrible conditions. Then he drank a few pints of heavy and enjoyed the evening disco! Looking back, Mick thinks that he was basically a marathon runner who could hang on for a bit, but not for a lot. 100km was a little too far to avoid slowing down in the final stages.

Mick McGeoch is renowned among the distance running fraternity as the opposite of a dour Welshman. He ran marathons and ultra-marathons for Wales on many occasions, including the 1991 100km World Championship in Italy, and is still featuring in international ‘masters’ cross-country contests. He has run nearly all the London Marathons so far with a very good pb of 2:17. At his peak he used to train up to 110 miles a week, with 22 miles on a Sunday and a weekly session of track repetitions, either shorter efforts in summer or 600 to 1200 metres in winter. he also finished third in the London to Brighton in 1989. he won the Barry 40 miles track race twice (in 1986 and 1988); and then helped to organise that event and also the Welsh Castles Relay.

David Kelly from Barrow AC went on to win the classic London to Brighton on a particularly tough day in 1991.

1. Mick McGeoch (Les Croupiers RRC) 3:36:02; 2. Gwyn Williams (Club ’69’, Tredegar) 3:39:44; 3. Geoff Large (Reading AC) 3:43:40; 4. David Kelly (Barrow AC) 3:45:18; 5. Andrew Stirling (1st local and 1st veteran, Falkirk Victoria

Harriers) 3:45:46; 6. Alan Smith (Tipton H) 3:47:42; 7. Andrew Battye (Woodstock H) 3:51:04; 8. Mike McHale (Pitreavie AC) 3:51:47; 9. Don Ritchie (M40, Forres H) 3:55:07; 10. Paul Taylor (Woodstock H) 3:56:08;

11. Thomas Williams (M40, Tipton) 3:58:41; 12. Tom Glare (Woodstock) 4:03:58; 13. Ian Mitchell (Pitreavie) 4:04:44; 14 Jeffrey Newman (Pitreavie) 4:06:22. 1st Woman. Gail Blake (Dundee RRAC) 59th in 5:11:59

1st Team: Woodsrock Harriers (Battye, Taylor, Glare) 29 points; 2nd Team. Pitreavie AAC (McHale, Mitchell, Newman) 35 points; 3rd Team. Tipton Harriers (Smith, Williams, Graham Smith (19th)) 36 points

1990

Erik Seedhouse had won the 1989 London to Brighton and this year’s Moray Marathon and was expected to challenge Don Ritchie, former winner of this event and holder of many world records. Both set off at record breaking pace. They passed 5 miles (27:57) some two minutes in front of a Tipton Harriers trio – Alan Smith and the Barnes brothers. After drinks and sponges at 7 miles at Culross, the leaders passed 10 miles in 57:07, about three minutes in front of Alan Smith and the 1988 winner Bill Evans. Ritchie and Seedhouse reached 15 miles in 1:27:16, just two and a half minutes in front of Alan Smith who was running alone, four minutes clear of three other Tipton athletes. Ritchie moved slightly ahead of Seedhouse and reached 20 miles in 1:57:25, just 8 seconds ahead, with Smith still 3 minutes back. Further back, Hilary Walker, the leading lady, was moving up through the field with veteran race specialist Bob Emmerson. Through Bo’ness and up Carriden Brae, Seedhouse lost touch and was overtaken for second by Alan Smith at the marathon point.

This gradual slope up to South Queensferry resolved what was to be the finishing order. Ritchie reached 30 miles in 2:59:30, Smith 3:02:34, Seedhouse 3:03:31. Ten minutes later it became clear that Mick Francis had passed four or five runners on that important stretch. Local runnersIan Mitchell and Richard Davidson had also moved up well. By now the conditions had ensured that no record would be set, and Don Ritchie with his steady pace ran relaxed over the Forth Road Bridge and through Inverkeithing to reach the finish, to be followed by Alan Smith and Erik Seedhouse in his first Two Bridges race. In a change from previous years, the first top ten finishers received gold medals, the second ten silver medals while the 21st to to 30th finishers received bronze medals on arrival. Among the silver medallists was Hilary Walker, who finished 15th, higher than any previous lady entrant and achieved the best time ever. Ken Shaw succeeded in completing his 23rd race.

1. Don Ritchie (1st veteran, 1st Scot, Forres Harriers) 3:38:00; 2. Alan Smith (M40, Tipton) 3:42:47; 3. Erik Seedhouse (100km Assoc.) 3:48:05; 4. Mich Francis (Forres H) 3:59:17; 5. Richard Davidson (Dundee RR) 4:02:28;

6. Ian Mitchell (1st Local, Pitreavie AAC) 4:06:57; 7. Frank Grier (M40, Dundee RR) 4:09:14; 8. Allan Wilson (unattached) 4:09:35; 9. Thomas Williams (M40, Tipton) 4:09:53; 10. Tom Glare (Woodstock H) 4:12:22;

11. Bill Carr (M40, Tipton) 4:09:53. 1st woman: Hilary Walker (London Serpentine RC) 15th in $;15:23 (record place and time). Only 77 finished from 100 starters due to hot, humid conditions.

First Team: Tipton Harriers (Smith, Williams, Carr)

1991

Andy Stirling, the former Falkirk Victoria man, showed great fortitude to hold off the red-hot favourite, Don Ritchie. Cavin Woodward, Ritchie and Gwyn Williams broke away from the start and at 10 miles (59:20) were a minute clear of Stirling and Mike McHale running together. At 18 miles things began to hot up as Stirling and McHale caught the leading three, and Stirling immediately injected some pace stealing a few yards lead on Ritchie at 20 miles (2:00:45) just in front of Williams and McHale, with Woodward struggling at the back. Stirling broke well clear up the steep hill out of his home town, Bo’ness, and was over a minute clear of Ritchie at the top. Passing the marathon distance in 2:38:01, he reached 30 miles in 3:01:28 where the distance between them was less than a minute.

Over the Forth Bridge, Ritchie continued to close, and the sages nodded their heads he was just 12 seconds behind as they came off the bridge. However on the uphill through Inverkeithing, Andy Stirling pulled away to reach the finish at Rosyth for a fine win. Ritchie was a close second, and McHale and Williams hung on to their places. The first six were all Vets of a similar age, the promising young Simon Lund from Manchester being the first non-vet to finish. In the women’s race, Hilary Johnson looked to have it sewn up most of the way, but ill-fitting insoles in her shoes caused problems, and at the end Carolyn Hunter-Rowe (Pudsey and Bramley) had closed to within two minutes.

Andy Stirling still lives in Bo’ness at sea-level and says that every training run started going uphill, which became his strength. He was Scottish Veteran Hill Running Champion four times. One of his regular sessions was trying to emulate past greats by running barefoot on a golf course. he was over a minute clear of Ritchie at 30 miles when he reached awkwardly for a drink and somehow got cramp in his left leg, which cause him to limp for a mile or so, as Andy’s supporters told him, Ritchie closed rapidly over the Forth Bridge – which on the video still frightens Andy although in reality he never looked round! The steep hill out of Inverkeithing came to Andy’s aid and thereafter he gained ground on the ups and lost on the downs all the way to the finish. He says that he had become interested in biorhythms and knew that, according to his date of birth, he was meant to be ‘high’ that day, while Don’s date of birth suggested that he should be ‘low’! Andy did lose two toenails in achieving victory however. Later on Andy and Don represented Scotland in the Home International 100km race near Edinburgh.

1. Andy Stirling (1st Scot and veteran, Bo’ness Road Runners) 3:41:04; 2. Don Ritchie (M40, Forres H) 3:41:28; 3. Mike McHale (M40, Pitreavie) 3:44:36; 4. Gwyn Williams (M40, Club 69) 3:47:37; 5. Tony Lenagan (M40, Wigan

Phoenix) 3:55:29; 6. Bernard Lloyd (M40, Wigan Phoenix) 3:56:08; 7. Simon Lund (unattached) 3:56:26; 8. Cavin Woodward (M40, Leamington) 3:59:06; 9. Ian Mitchell (Pitreavie) 4:03:45; 10. Terry Dolan (M40, Cambuslang H)

4:07:12; 11. Bob Emmerson (Leamington) 4:10:01. First Woman: Hilary Johnson (W35, RRC) 4:32:01. 68 Finished. First Team: Wigan Phoenix (Lenagan, Lloyd, Brian Gore M40, 14th in 4:17:46)

1992

In perfect conditions at the start, no one could have predicted the leading finishers, as Don Ritchie and another past winner, Charlie Trayer (USA) were among the favourites. At 5 miles Trayer was in front but then Mark Guichard moved strongly to the front and at ten miles (58:59) was clear from Alan Smith and Trayer. Guichard increased his lead at 15 miles and 20 miles (1:58:20) with Tipton Harriers packing well behind, but Pitreavie vests were also looking menacing. Guichard looked like a cear winner at 25 miles, having negotiated the hills out of Bo’ness and the marathon distance (2:39:22) but then came almost to an abrupt halt as heavy rain fell and the temperature dropped sharply.

This let Paul Rogers into the lead at 30 miles (3:05:23 with the wonderful sight of the Forth Bridges viewed with mixed feelings by the runners – the prospect of a hard slog but gradually nearing the end. Tailing the leader the Pitreavie charge was developing, with Mike Greally second, although he was shortly to retire, and Baxter and Duncan continuing their forward progress with a very tired Guichard in the place between them. On the tough five mile stretch over the Road Bridge and up through Inverkeithing, Baxter clocked 31:04 and Duncan 30:59 to put Baxter neck-and-neck with Rogers in the lead at 35 miles, with Duncan 1:13 behind. Over the final mile and a bit Peter Baxter stormed away for a splendid win in his first attempt at a race in excess of the marathon distance, with Kenny (or Archie) Duncan also rushing past Rogers into second place. These moves clinched the team race too, as Pitreavie overcame the annual but very welcome Tipton raiders.

Trudi Thomson ran a fine well-controlled race to win the women’s award, a long way in front of the two Arbroath Footers, Pauline Gooney and Isobel Clark, who almost seemed as if they were enjoying it! Peter Baxter ran remarkably well, considering his lack of experience at the distance, and Don Ritchie, who never looked happy, confessed to having an off-patch at present – probably too much racing – and has to be respected for struggling round. No doubt he will soon return to his usual glories. Ken Shaw finished his 25th consecutive Bridges; and Peter Hart must have run most of them too. Both seemed to find it easy although they have gone up in weight! It was good to see Willie Russell running too having also run the first one. I (Don Turner) wish I still could!

1. Peter Baxter (Pitreavie AAC) 3:47:48; 2. Kenny Duncan (M40, Pitreavie) 3:48:59; 3. Paul Rogers (Tipton H) 3:49:32; 4. Simon Lund (Wigan Phoenix) 3:50:53; 5. Mick Francis (Moray RR) 3:53:03; 6. Dave Beattie (M40, Crawley)

3:54:10; 7. Paul Swan (Pitreavie) 3:54:33; 8. Alan Smith (M40, Tipton H) 3:55:55; 9. Brian Bosher (Sunderland) 3:56:41; 10. Keith Baxeley (M40, Northampton Phoenix) 3:59:22; 11. Don Ritchie (M40, Forres H) 4:00:52.

M50: Ronald Donkin (Sunderland) 4:13:54. 1st Woman: Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie AAC) 4:38:51 1st Team: Pitreavie AAC

1993

No report available. However, Andy Stirling states that he felt good all the way, and, won fairly comfortably, despite working a twelve hour shift the previous day, standing at a huge machine in a paper mill. He broke away from Smith, Hartley and Mick Francis up the steep hill out of Bo’ness at 22 miles. Mick Francis paid for this effort but he was much better at longer challenges like the West Highland Way race or 24 hour events, representing first Scotland and then Australia at the latter.

Andy Stirling (M40, Bo’ness RC) 3:45:28; 2. Alan Smith (M40, Tipton H) 3:51:47; 3. M Hartley (M40, Cann) 3:53:22; 4. Richard Davidson (Dundee RR) 3:53:54; 5. Paul Rogers (Tipton) 3:57:46; 6. Dave Beattie (Crawley) 4:02:48;
Mick Francis (Moray RR) 4:03:00; 8. Tom Glare (Woodstock H) 4:05:17; 9. Andy Bottomley (Wolverhampton) 4:09:27; 10. Colin Mathieson (BT Pitreavie) 4:12:06. 1st Woman: Trudi Thomson (BT Pitreavie) 4:26:37

1994

The obvious favourites before the start looked to be Danny de Chaumont, the rogue South African who ‘won’ the Brighton a few years back; and Trudi Thomson, the local star in the women’s race. Simon Lund had other ideas, and was six seconds clear by five miles and over two minutes up by ten miles (59:07). Trudi Thomson was running comfortably in 66:01. By the time Ken Shaw passed in this 27th successive race, heavy rain had started, too much for his state of fitness. By 20 miles after Grangemouth, Lund had opened a gap of 3:20 with 1:58:58 from Andy Bottomley, clear in second, and then Bill Evans leading the Tipton challenge. Thomson was enjoying 14th place in an even 2:14.

Up and over the testing hill out of Bo’ness, through the marathon in 2:36:15, Lund was four minutes up and it was nearly five minutes at 30 miles with a fine 2:59:36, with the Forth Road Bridge in sight as the rain caught up with him. Bottomley was still second but Evans was gaining with de Chaumont isolated in fourth. Thomson was through in a fine 3:23:55 (2:57:37 marathon) in 13th place. The weather was now very unpleasant as Lund started to tire and Evans pushed through into second place on the tough exposed section over the Bridge. He was less than three minutes down at 35 miles and anything could still happen. In fact, Simon Lund did hang on to the finish, and I have seldom seen a winner look so exhausted, so it was splendidly judged on his part. It is always good to see a race won from the front and here he just made it to the limit of his reserves. The first four retained their positions and Trudi Thomson came home for her third successive victory, looking as if it was all very enjoyable in a top-class 4:06:45, knocking 9 minutes off the women’s record. Another excellent race organised by the Civil Service team under new management, and we look forward to better weather next year.

Simon Lund (Wigan Phoenix) 3:41:16; 2. Bill Evans (Tipton H) 3:43:48; 3. Andy Bottomley (Wolv and Bilston) 3:45:29; 4. Danny de Chaumont (SA) 3:48:51; 5. Lee Harris (Wigan Phoenix) 3:57:15; 6. Colin Mathieson (Pitreavie AC)

3:59:02; 7. Tom Glare (Woodstock H) 3:59:30; 8. Andy Farquharson (Pitreavie AC) 4:02:35; 9. Adrian Higgs (Cheltenham H) 4:06:36; 10. Walter Hill (Crawley AC) 4:06:39; 11. Trudi Thomson (First Woman, Pitreavie AAC) 4:06:45

First Team: Wigan Phoenix, from Pitreavie and Tipton.

1995

Cloudy weather turned to rain as the race started. After a brief sortie to the front by Charlie Trayer, a regular American visitor, it was one of the usual early leaders Delroy Barnes and Tipton clubmate Bill Evans who led through ten miles in a rather slow 62:40, followed by past winner and local man Andrew Stirling. The rain had stopped by 15 miles (1:33:04), the pace had slightly increased and the gap the Tipton pair enjoyed had increased to 1:50 on a group of four pursuers – Stirling and the full Wigan team of John Moore, Lee Harris and Stephen Williams! By 20 miles (2:03:52) Evans was only 23 seconds clear of Barnes with Harris and Moore merely 50 seconds down on him. The sharp hill out of Bo’ness allowed the Wigan pair to escape. 25 miles in 2:35:37 and the marathon in 2:44:07 with Stirling two and a half minutes down and the previous leaders blown away. Colin Hutt from Kirkcaldy was running strongly in fourth.

With the Forth Road Bridge in view at 30 miles, Lee Harries was going well in front in 3:05:55, with John Moore also strong one and a half minutes down. Those two had pulled away, and although Andy Stirling closed slightly in third over the Bridge, it was a considerable Wigan triumph at the end, with Stephen Williams closing in to give them a very low points score. The winner’s five mile splits in Raymond Hutcheson’s splendid results booklet are a tribute to his fitness. They were: 32:19; 30:59; 31:36; 30:01; 30:42; 30:18; 30:07. Kate Todd from Kilmarnock was an untroubled winner of the women’s race. The finishers were given the usual hospitable reception at the Rosyth clubhouse finish, many of them coming back year after year. ken Shaw arrived after a very long journey round the course, an hour and a half behind the field, and did not seem as if he wanted to extend his series. One hopes that others will.

lee Harris (Wigan Phoenix) 3:43:19; 2. John Moore (Wigan Phoenix) 3:48:19; 3. Andy Stirling (M45, Bo’ness RR) 3:50:45; 4. Colin Hutt (unattached) 3:55:20; 5. Stephen Williams (M45, Wigan Phoenix) 3:57:47; 6. Tom Glare

(Woodstock H) 3:58:06; 7. Ian Burgess (M40, Southampton City) 4:08:52; 8. Brian Bosher (M40, Sunderland H) 4;10:03; 9. Tony Lenagan (M50, Wigan Phoenix) 4:12:46; 10. Norrie Williamson (M40, 100km Association) 4:13:21.

First Woman: Kate Todd (W35, Johnny Walker Kilmarnock Harriers) 4:41:52. First team: Wigan Phoenix.

1996

Rumours of the race having problems through lack of local support seemed unfounded as a field of nearly a hundred runners were greeted with the usual enthusiasm at the Rosyth clubhouse. There was the first sizeable change of route this year, with a shortened run in from the Forth Road Bridge towards the end, cutting the distance by about a mile. This avoided a busy entrance to the motorway. the runners got away from the start at Pittencrieff Glen in drizzly rain. The starters included the ever-present Ken Shaw, who intended to do only 14 miles and so have covered 1000 miles in the Two Bridges race. Simon Lund of the strong Wigan contingent led at ten miles in 58:55, pursued by Ian Bloomfield from Chester-le-Street in 59:07. Bloomfield took the lead over the Kincardine Bridge and was still there at 20 miles, leaving Grangemouth in 1:58:52, but he wasn’t to last much longer. Lund followed in 2:00:05 with Lee Harris, Colin Hutt, Carl Barker, Mark Guichard and John Moore going by in quick succession, just outside 2:01.

After the steep hill out of Bo’ness, Harris had joined Lund in the lead and they reached the marathon point in 2:39:01. By 30 miles, Harris was 9 seconds ahead in 3:01:54. Hutt followed in 3:04:54 – a good time on not too favourable a day. Further down, Guichard was running well, with Dave Beattie and George Kay making welcome returns to the ultra scene. It was Simon Lund who found the little bit extra on the final stages to lead his Wigan team mate to the finish. Hutt upheld the local distance running status. The strong Wigan squad dominated the team awards. First lady was Pauline Walker of the local Carnegie club; Ken Shaw too was feted afterward for his achievement. Let’s hope this popular race does flourish – perhaps the coming large Hyundai complex can be persuaded to support the race.

Simon Lund (Wigan Phoenix) 3:34:12; 2. Lee Harries (Wigan Phoenix) 3:36:26; 3. Colin Hutt (unatt/Kirkcaldy) 3:40:14; 4. Carl Barker (Sydney Striders) 3:42:10; 5. John Moore (Wigan Phoenix) 3:44:01; 6. Mark Guichard (Dartford H) 3:46:58; 7. Tom Glare (Woodstock H) 3:48:28; 8. Paul Rogers (Tipton H) 3:50:12; 9. Alan W Russell (Babcock Pitreavie AC) 3:53:48; 10. John Worthington (Wigan Phoenix) 3:56:53. 1st M40: AW Russell (Pitreavie) 9th in 3:53:48. [Also first Local Runner]; M50: Michael Leary (Wigan Phoenix) 17th in 4:22: 23 M60: George Kay (100km Association) 15th in 4:20:11.

1st Lady: Pauline Walker (FMC Carnegie Harriers) 5:23:07. First Team: Wigan Phoenix A; Second Team: Wigan Phoenix B

1997

This was the 30th edition of this well-respected ultra race, which went off without a hitch, due to Race Director Tim Kille and his very hard working band of helpers centred round the Civil Service Sports Association Club at Rosyth.

86 started. Good conditions: Dry with cloud cover and a breeze. The shortened course has been measured accurately at 35 miles and 498 yards. At 10 miles (61:12) the Wigan pair of John Worthington and Lee Harris led, followed at a few seconds interval by Billy Evans, Allan Stewart and Colin Hutt. By 20 Miles (2:00:57) Harris was two minutes in front of Hutt, Evans and Stewart, with Worthington dropping away. Up the hill and beyond, Hutt really got stuck in and by the marathon had swept past Harris for a 48 second lead. Stewart and Evans were not far behind. Once in front, Hutt went further away, while Harris dropped back. 30 miles were passed in 3:06:34, when Colin had four minutes to spare over Allan and Billy. For the rest of the race the leader stretched further away, while Norrie Williamson and a rejuvenated Cavin Woodward closed in slightly on Stewart and Evans. Meanwhile there was a high quality women’s race goin on between top runners, Eleanor Robertson, Hilary Walker and Helen Diamantides.

So this year’s winner by over ten minutes, after a perfectly timed race, was local runner Colin Hutt. Allan Stewart finished very strongly, well clear of Billy Evans who showed he was back in the ultra groove. Wigan defeated Tipton by the slightest of margins in the team race due to a gutsy run by their third scorer, Paul Derbyshire. Eleanor Robinson kept ahead of Hilary Walker of Serpentine RC (4:21:16) and Helen Diamantides of Fife AC (4:24:37. Peter Hart of Leamington completed 20 finishes in 20 attemptes and Ken Shaw of Aldeborne AC finished just in time for the evening disco and received the biggest cheer of the day. That makes a record 30 starts and 28 finishes for him. At the reception as usual the reception for the English runners was warm, and special mention must be made to Committee members at the CSSA, especially Ernie Letley and Jim Henderson – and most important for the runners, the man who completes the excellently detailed results booklet, Raymond Hutcheson. Also present but not competing was the man who started it all in 1968, Phil Hampton. He was promoting a ‘twinning’ between the Two Bridges Road Race and a new race, the Dartmoor Discovery, starting and finishing in Princetown in early June over a distance of 34 miles 219 yards.

Colin Hutt (Bo’ness Road Runners) 3:40:39; 2. Allan Stewart (Moray RR) 3:51:24; 3. Bill Evans (Tipton) 3:56:06; 4. Norrie Williamson (M40, 100k Assoc) 4:00:31; 5. Cavin Woodward (M50, Leamington) 4:01:12; 6. Ian Brown

(Pitreavie AC) 4:03:15; 7. Mike McHale (M40, FMC Carnegie H) 4:04:45; 8. Dave Beattie (M50, Crawley) 4:05:22; 9. Lee Harris (Wigan Phoenix) 4:08:52; 10. Robert Jardine (Bo’ness RR) 4:14:15; 11. Tom Glare (Woodstock

Harriers). 73 finished. 1st Woman: Eleanor Robertson (W35, Border Harriers and AC) 12th in 4:17:05. 1st Team: Wigan Phoenix Harriers (Harris, Tony Lenagan (M50) 14th, Paul Derbyshire 15th) by one point from Tipton Harriers (Evans, Andrew

Richards 17th, Tom Williams (M50) 19th)

1998

Over a hundred set off. The race had been enlivened with its twinning with the Dartmoor Discovery. Ken Shaw was there to help with refreshment stations. At ten miles, Simon Pride came flying through in 55:08, already three and a half minutes clear of a group including Arthur Johns, Renier Steyn and locals Peter Morrison and Colin Hutt. Pride was over 5 minutes ahead at 20 miles (1:54:45), Steyn was second, just inside two hours, and Hutt was third. Interestingly Cavin Woodward was escorting son Ross and they passed in 15th place – Ross hardly being born when the Two Bridges race started. In fact, rumour has it that he was named after the race, as was his brother Glen who also runs!

Pride was still going away: marathon (2:32:50), 30 miles (2:55:16) with no signs of faltering. Steyn was well clear in second (3:02:26) and moving away from Hutt (3:07:30) with Morrison (3:17:20) but losing ground. The Woodwards were up to ninth with Ross straining at the leash. Simon Pride (who went on in May 1999 to win the World 100km road championship in a superb UK best time of 6:24:05) came home to the Rosyth clubhouse in 3:27:40 after a grand solo run, and no doubt would have compared well with the giants of the past timewise if he had had any challengers. At least his time was a record for the new course. Renier Steyn was 14 minutes down but well ahead of Colin Hutt – rarely have the first three been so spread out. Peter Morrison was fourth and Ross Woodward got up to fifth, with the best twin races performer, Arthur Johns 6th and Ross’s Dad Cavin seventh. Bob Emmerson (60) anchored Leamington Cycling and Athletic club to team victory, just three points in front of the locals – Bo’ness Road Runners.

The great Cavin Woodward now has 14 finishes in the event with most wins, in 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1985! The weather stayed kind throughout the weekend which was thoroughly enjoyed as usual by everyone including the invading English runners on their holiday weekend.

Simon Pride (Keith and District AAC) 3:27:40; 2. Renier Steyn (Mr Price South Africa) 3:41:13; 3. Colin Hutt (BRR) 3:50:13; 4. Peter Morrison (Carnegie) 3:56:34; 5. Ross Woodward (Leamington C&AC) 4:02:15;
Arthur Johns (M40, Poole R) 4:02:52; 7. Cavin Woodward (M50, Leamington C&AC) 4:04:15; 8. Robert Jardine (BRR) 4:07:56; 9. Michael Nelhams (Stowmarket Striders) 4:08:19; 10. Andy Eccles (Wigan Phoenix) 4:09:55.

M60: Bob Emmerson (Leamington C & AC) 27th in 4:36:49. 89 finished. First Woman: Sylvia Watson (W35, Valley Striders) 4:48:17. First Team: Leamington C&AC 39 points; Second Team: Bo’ness RR 42 points.

1999

The runners stood in silence before the 10:00 am start in memory of Tony Lenagan who ran 16 Two Bridges but sadly died in February. Alan Reid set off as if he really meant business, leading the 100 strong field through five miles (27:37) and ten miles (56:20) at which point he was nearly five minutes clear of the rest. John Worthington was second (61:07) from Ian Anderson (61:54), with Philip Derbyshire and Andy Eccles running together in 62:38. The weather was good. Reid reached 20 miles, between Grangemouth and Bo’ness, in 1:57:33 from Worthington (2:04:02) and Anderson (2:07:30), with Eccles moving away from Derbyshire. Reid slowed to a 34:50 five mile split on the tough hill after 20 miles. He was still nine minutes clear at the marathon point (2:40:35) but Eccles was gaining.

At 30 miles Reid (3:07:34) was still well ahead of Eccles (3:15:150. However Andy Eccles gained three minutes on the leader by the finish, but Alan Reid had timed his run well and he had control of the race throughout. John Worthington and Ian Anderson held their positions, with Dave Beattie following, and running faster than anyone from 30 miles onwards, Hilary Walker was always at the head of the women’s race with steady 10 mile splits of 1:12:44, 1:15:17 and 1:18:21. Second was Jan Farmer from the same club, Serpentine, with local runner, Pauline Walker third.

(NB: Alan Reid is cheerful and indomitable despite being injury prone. This has not stopped him from racing ahead in the early stages of countless races and hanging on grimly. His finest ultra-running achievements include: Gold (2001), silver and bronze medals in the British 100km Road Championships, the Scottish 50km title in 1999 and 2000 and winning the Barry 40 miles track race in 2001.)

1. Alan Reid (Peterhead AC) 3:48:56; 2. Andy Eccles (Wigan Phoenix) 3:53:27; 3. John Worthington (Wigan Phoenix) 3:56:48; 4. Ian Anderson (RRC) 3:58:07; 5. Dave Beattie (M50, Crawley AC) 4:03:19; 6. Victor Johnson

(M40, Exmouth AC) 4:05:00; 7. Phillip Derbeyshire (M40, Wigan Phoenix) 4:07:48; 8. Peter Gledhill, M40, Barnsley AC) 4:08:46; 9. Anthony Richards (Tipton H) 4:10:33; 10. Ian Brown (M40, Pitreavie AAC) 4:12:45.

First Woman: Hilary Walker (W35, Serpentine RC) 4:27:42. First Team: Wigan Phoenix.

2000

Colin Hutt won for the second time. He recalls that Peter Morrison set off fast in a brave bid for victory and opened up a considerable lead, while Colin ran steadily. The infamous Carridean Brae at Bo’ness was reached at 26 miles and Colin pushed very hard uphill, catching Peter at the top, before moving ahead to win clearly. Colin had been coached by Andy Stirling (twice a winner himself) and during 1997 – 99 had won the well-known Edinburgh to North Berwick 22 mile race three times in succession. In recent years, Colin Hutt has tended to avoid the road due to injury but, as a young veteran representing Carnethy Hill Runners continued to do well in tough long distance hill and trail races (like the West Highland Way) as well as hilly duathlons and triathlons. In 2020, aged 53, living in Grantown-on-Spey and running almost entirely on trails and hills, as well as cross-training, Colin remains strong enough, wearing normal training shoes, to win or finish second in an annual ultra-distance race in Rovaniemi, Finland – over frozen rivers and lakes!

1. Colin Hutt (Bo’ness Road Runners) 3:41:48; 2. Peter Morrison (Fife AC) 3:47:20; 3. Mark Guichard (100km Assoc) 3:59:02; 4. Stephen Mason (Dundee Hawkhill H) 3:59:22; 5. Mark Laithwaite (Wigan Phoenix) 4:02:02;

6. Andy Eccles (Wigan Phoenix) 4:03:28. M50: Chris Morris (Tipton) 4:18:01. 1st Woman Debra Curley (Wigan Phoenix) 4:30:32. First Team: Wigan Phoenix.

2001

(By Derek Walton). The 34th edition of the Scottish ultra attracted a mixture of gnarled veterans, die-hards and first-timers in its 113 entrants, 102 of whom lined up in almost perfect conditions. This year’s race had an international flavour with entries from Algeria, Holland, Morocco, South Africa and the Ukraine, but as usual the bulk of the entries were from south of the border. With no major road works the course was as per the usual route but on a personal note it is noticeable how much the volume of traffic has increased over the years, especially in the last third of the race; speeding motorists impervious to the wanderings and meanderings of fatigued runners, despite conspicuous yellow cautionary notices en-route.

After 35 miles 495 yards of road, Philip Derbyshire triumphed over seasoned ultra campaigner Ian Anderson by almost 4 minutes. In the women’s race, Kath Charnock need have no worries. Starting slowly and joining Two Bridges regular Andy Richards of Tipton Harriers at 25 miles she was urged by him to press on for a course record as refreshing rain began to fall. Passing through the marathon mark in 3 hours 05 minutes she maintained a steady 7 minute miling pace to the Civil Service Sports Centre in Rosyth, crossing the finish 7th overall in 4:08:21, a record for the course used since 1996 (but slower than Trudi Thomson’s 1994 record on the old, longer course).

Three runners, Bob Emmerson, Bill Humphries and Graham Smith completed their 20th Two Bridges; and Tim Kille, Jim Henderson and Ernie Letley, plus their marshals and assistants did their usual exemplary job in promoting and staging the race. The excellent value of hot buffet, and lively disco and DJ on the Saturday reflected the friendly social aspect of this sporting weekend.

1. Philip Derbyshire (Wigan Phoenix) 3:50:19; 2. Ian Anderson (York Knavesmire H) 3:54:06; 3. Andrey Reyer (Parus, Ukraine) 4:01:52; 4. Simon Lund (Wigan Phoenix) 4:03:19; 5. John Worthington (Wigan Phoenix) 4:05:34;

6. Andy Eccles (M40, Wigan Phoenix) 4:06:40; 7. Kath Charnock (W35, Wigan Phoenix) 4:08:21; 8. John Duffy (Shettleston H) 4:09:02; 9. Andrew Richards (M40, Tipton H) 4:14:40; 10. Roderick Burton (M40, Scunthorpe and District) 4:15:51. M50: Neil Macgregor (Shettleston H) 11th in 4:16:08. M60: George Kay (Stone MM) 29th in 4:44:09. 88 finishers. First Team: Wigan Phoenix; First Veteran Team: Wigan Phoenix.

2002

(Derek Walton reports). A minor milestone this year, the 35th running of this classic, first won in 1968 by Don Turner. Don still helps out and this year was reading out times and positions at the 30 mile point. This year saw a new winner, Brian Hennessey of Crawley AC. He had almost seven minutes in handover another new name, Carnegie Harriers Stevie Ogg, who was first local runner and first Scot. [N.B. Brian Hennessey had an excellent ultra running career, including victories in the Barry 40 miles track race (2003), the British 100km road championship (2004), and the London to Brighton Race (2002, 2003 and 2004).

Last year’s winner Phil Derbyshire had to be content with third place, despite preparing well with 100 and 130 mile training weeks. The weather was ideal for the start but later on it really warmed up, which produced slower times. Despite the lower than normal entries and finishers, this race continues to flourish, not least to the excellent social scene and hospitality at the CSSA club in Rosyth. The race committee also have sponsorship, mainly from the Dunfermline and West Fife District Sports Council, and most importantly these days, liaise well with the local Police Force, who provided a speedy protective outrider for the leaders this year.

1. Brian Hennessey (Crawley) 3:44:30; 2. Stevie Ogg (Carnegie H) 3:51:29; 3. Phil Derbyshire (Wigan Phoenix) 3:54:07; 4. Ian Anderson (Knavesmire H) 3L55:23; 5. Simon Lund (Woodstock H) 3:55:37; 6. Andy Eccles (M40, Wigan

Phoenix) 3:58:07; 7. Michael Diver (Clydesdale Harriers) 4:06:07; 8. John Duffy (Shettleston H) 4:08:58; 9. Alex Nicol (M50, Carnegie H) 4:24:43; 10. Graham Baker (M50, RRC) 4:34:48.

First Woman: Margaret Swithenby (Milton Keynes AC) 4:58:54. M60: Bob Emmerson (Leamington C&AC) 5:08:07 First Team: Wigan Phoenix (Derbyshire, Eccles, Christopher Nightingale, 15th)

2003

(Derek Walton reports). This year’s race was voted by regulars one of the best ever. 103 started on a sunny day. The heat eventually caused the finishers to dwindle to 77. As the race progressed, the cream rose to the top, as 2:24 marathoner, Royal Marine Brian Cole went clear before the Forth Road Bridge at 31 miles. Previously he had been biding his time in a class group including ultra internationalists Matt Lynas and Andy Eccles and previous winner Phil Derbyshire. Newcomer Stuart Buchan had an excellent debut to make the podium in third spot, less than a minute behind Matt. [N.B. Brian Cole was a very successful international ultra runner. He won the AAA 50k Ultra Distance (Road) Championship in 2004, as well as the Barry 40 miles track race, and has been victorious in the Dartmoor Discovery four times].

There was an encouraging female entry this year with at least a dozen finishers. The stylish and smooth- running Jackie Leak won by two minutes forty two seconds, never wavering far from 8 minute miling, and methodically imbibing her special drinks at each of the 14 drinks stations. Christine Costiff of the SLH finished very strongly for second. The oldest finisher and winner of the Ken Shaw Trophy was debutant74 year old Terry Kelly of Fearnville RC in 6:19:42 in 70th spot, despite taking a nastsy tunble at 16 miles. Incidentally, Ken again started the race and has now attended every staging of the event. He also holds the record number of finishes of 28 from 30 starts, but Leamington’s Peter Hart (26) and Altrincham’s Derek Walton (24) are steadily catching up.

Race Director Tim Kille and his team continue to do an excellent job with an army of volunteer marshals and timekeepers, and with local sponsorship from Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council, Superfast Ferries, Rennies Coach Travel, Tesco and Stephen’s Bakery. The event should be secure up to the 40th staging and with luck on to a major celebration for the big 50! [Sadly this was not to be]

Brian Cole (Royal Marines) 3:39:48; 2. Matthew Lynas (THH) 3:44:39; 3. Stuart Buchan (M40, Kingston-Hull AC); 4. Phil Derbyshire (Wigan Phoenix) 3:52:34; 5. Andy Eccles (M40, Wigan Phoenic) 4:02:03; 6. Simon Lund

(Woodstock H) 4:02:39; 7. Graham Cunliffe (M40, Clayton-le-Moors) 4:04:41; 8. Les Hill (M40, Dumfries) 4:05:35; 9. William Sichel (M45, Moray RR) 4:07:30; 10. Robert Wilson (M40, Greenock) 4:09:18.

M50: Mike McHale (Carnegie) 4:30:36. 1st Woman: Jackie Leak (Chiltern Harriers) 4:43:07. M60: Derek Walton (Altrincham AC) 24th in 4:44:46.

2004

The event changed to the Two Bridges Multi-Terrain Challenge – 12 miles trail, 9 miles track and 14 miles road.

No report is available.

1 John Worthington (Wigan Phoenix) 3.57.35; 2 Viesters Dude (Crawley) 3.58.30;

3 Andy Eccles (M40: Wigan Phoenix) 4.03.53; 4 Tim Walker (Carnegie H) 4.17.55;

5 Gerry Craig (Vic P) 4.19.15;

M50: Colin Mathieson (Pitreavie) 4.25.08;

M60: Derek Walton (Altrincham) 5.01.06;

First Team: Wigan Phoenix. Vets Team: Crawley.

Women: 1 Ros Alexander (Carnegie H) 4.16.58; 2 Carol-Ann Young (Portobello) 4.56.29;

3 Colleen Donaldson (unatt) 5.01.23.

Team: Wigan Phoenix.

2005

The final Two Bridges race of all, alas.

Multi Terrain again.

No report is available. After 38 wonderful races, perhaps no one has the heart to write one. It was fitting however that Wigan Phoenix should be the team winners yet again – their eleventh triumph since 1991.

John Worthington (Wigan Phoenix) 4:00:07; Andy Eccles (M40, Wigan Phoenix) 4:00:53; 3. Colin Mathieson (M50, Pitreavie AAC) 4:12:11; 4. Mohammed Manir (Wigan Phoenix) 4:13:36; 5. Paddy Jumelle (Haddington East Lothian

Pacemakers) 4:17:06; M60: Derek Walton (Altrincham) 5:16:30; Women: Heather Foundling-Hawker (Honiton) 4:17:52, 2. Elaine Calder (W35, S’haven) 4:46:18; 3. Pauline Walker (W35, Carnegie H) 4:52:27.

[N. B. Heather Foundling-Hawker continues to enjoy an excellent international ultra-running career. Her victories include: AAA 50K Championships (2005), European 50K Championships (2005), British 100K championship (2009) and four wins in the Dartmoor Discovery.]

And that’s where Colin’s excellent coverage of the race ends. The race reports sometimes lack a bit in fluency but they have an immediacy that comes across and transmits something of the excitement of the race and the complete commitment of those involved. It is perhaps a reflection on the modern day endurance scene that we cannot come up with such wonderful events – they would have of course to be mainly off road, but if our predecessors could devise races such as this , the Perth to Dundee and so on, surely it is not beyond the wit of the present generation to come up with equivalent challenges? Almost all of the black and white pictures come from Graham MacIndoe’s collection – see almost three hundred of his pictures in the Graham’s Gallery section of the website. Several of the pictures – including that of the 2003 start – come from a personal report on the race by Liz Easterbrook: it is a wonderfully detailed report on the race and what it was like to run and complete it. It can be found at www.richk.co.uk/Two%20Bridges/2bridges.htm and is well worth reading. The other black and white pictures were given by Graham Bennison who was a very good ultra runner with Bolton United Harriers and is now a respected member of Fife AAC.

Graham MacDonald at Pitreavie who worked at every one of the races has compiled a list of the individual performances for the entire series: well worth a look, it is at this link.

Ron Bentley, a regular fixture at these races died in February, 2019, aged 88. His obituary is at this link

Two Bridges: Individual Performances

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Graham MacDonald has kindly drawn up some statistical tables for individual performances, who has run most and other categories: they make interesting reading and they are reproduced here.

Frequent Competitors (1968-2003)	Club	Run In	Finished

Ken Shaw	Aldbourne RRC	30	28
Peter Hart	Leamington C & AC	26	26
Derek A Walton	Altrincham AC	24	24
Bob Emmerson	Leamington C & AC	22	22
Graham Smith	Tipton Harriers	20	20
Bill Humphries	South London Harriers	20	19
David N Adams	Hamilton Harriers	19	19
Bill Carr	Tipton Harriers	19	17
Colin Hunt	Tipton Harriers	18	17
Don Turner	Pitreavie H/Epsom & Ewell H	16	16

Best Performances: Original Distance of 36 miles 365 yards (1968 – 1995)

MEN

Andy Holden	Tipton H	3:21:46	1st	1980
Alex Wight	Edinburgh AC	3:24:07	1st	1972
Cavin Woodward	Leamington C & AC	3:24:45	1st	1978
Jim Wight	Edinburgh AC	3:24:49	2nd	1972
Alastair Wood	Aberdeen AAC	3:25:49	3rd	1972
Mark Pickard	Epson & Ewell AC	3:26:01	1st	1981

WOMEN

Trudi Thomson	Pitreavie AAC	4:06:45	11th	1994
Hilary Walker	Serpentine RC	4:15:23	15th	1990
Ann Franklin	Mynyddwyr de Cymru Fell RC	4:17:59	22nd	1985

Best Performances: 35 miles 485 yards (1996 – 2003)

MEN

Simon Pride	Keith & District	3:27:40	1st	1998
Simon Lund	Wigan Phoenix	3:34:12	1st	1996
Lee Harris	Wigan Phoenix	3:36:36	2nd	1996
Brian Cole	Royal Marines	3:39:48	1st	2003
Colin Hunt	Bo’ness RR	3:40:14	3rd	1996
Renier Steyn	Mr Price South Africa	3:41:13	2nd	1998

WOMEN

Kath Charnock	Wigan Phoenix	V35	4:08:21	7th	2001
Eleanor Robinson	Border Harriers	V35	4:17:05	12th	1997
Hilary Walker	Serpentine RC	V35	4:21:16	13th	1997

Fascinating stuff – and there’s a new trivia question for the next club quiz night – who is the only person to appear in the top three on both courses of the Two Bridges Race? The range of the geographical spread is also indicated – Scotland, England, Wales, South Africa are all represented in the top performances. All I can say is thanks, Graham, for the trouble taken!

Adrian’s Top Ten

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Adrian Stott in the Edinburgh 10 miles in 1984

ADRIAN’S TOP TEN SCOTTISH ULTRA MOMENTS

Former GB&NI representative and British 24 Hour Champion (1999) Adrian Stott, the manager of Edinburgh’s Run and Become, is one of the most experienced ultra marathon competitors in the UK. His exploits include running the 95 mile West Highland Way race on eight occasions and finishing eighth in the European Championships 24 Hour event (2000).

“Opinion among PB readers could well be split as to whether running ultra-distance events and challenges is inspirational and a natural extension of athletic ability, or simply utter madness,” he says. “Whatever your standpoint, Scotland and Scots runners have a strong tradition of challenging themselves in ultras and here is a personal selection of some outstanding performances, some classic events and a couple of self-devised hill routes that are just ‘Pure Scotland’. In all cases, whatever the distance, the athletes have asked themselves the same questions. Look at my event or challenge. What does it involve? What training do I need to do to achieve my goal physically and mentally? They have then, like athletes from any discipline, spent months and in some cases years working towards their chosen goal. Here are a few of my highlights….”

1 Alastair Wood’s London to Brighton Victory

The London to Brighton race, organised by the Road Runners Club, was the classic point to point ultra road race. Starting at Big Ben on the first stroke of the 7 a.m. chime, runners went from the heart of the metropolis through the suburbs, and out into the countryside, continuing over the North and South Downs to finish on the seafront at Brighton. Since 1951 it had attracted not only the top British ultra runners but also the top Americans and South Africans. It had long been thought that if a leading marathon runner were to have the courage to tackle the 53 miles of the Brighton, he would do well. Step forward Aberdonian Alastair Wood, a GB marathon international with a PB of 2.13.45. In the 1972 race he not only demolished a good class field but broke the course record by running 5 hours 11 minutes exactly. Sadly, due to increasing traffic and organisational issues, the event was last held on the roads in 2005. Wood was to inspire another Scot who would leave an ultra legacy for years.

2 Don Ritchie’s Legendary 100 kilometre record

The quiet unassuming Scot is quite simply an ultra distance legend and a good club runner at distances up to the marathon (PB of 2.19) and his achievements of the late 1970s and early 1980s are still revered the world over. Inspired by fellow Aberdonian Alastair Wood, Ritchie decided to attempt the classic 55 mile London to Brighton Race as well (1977) and duly beat England’s finest. 100 km (62.2 miles) was starting to be recognised as the international standard ultra distance by which performances could be compared. The Road Runners Club (L to B organisers) thus organised a 100 km race at Crystal Palace track in South London (250 laps) in October 1978, inviting Ritchie and other top British runners of the time like Cavin Woodward and Tom O’Reilly. Ritchie produced what was probably his best ever performance to smash the existing world 100 km record with 6 hours 10 minutes 20 seconds (average pace 5.59 per mile). Despite efforts by top Japanese and European ultra specialists, this is still the best time ever recorded for the distance 35 years later!!

3 Scottish Success at World Championships 100 km

In 1987 the International Association of Ultra Runners (IAU) established a World 100 km Championships. In the inaugural event Don Ritchie, probably with his best years behind him, achieved a silver medal. In 1994, Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie) having established herself as one of Britain’s best, had the race of her life to take the silver medal at the World 100 km Championships held at Lake Saroma in Japan. She recorded 7 hours 42 minutes 17 seconds, which still stands as the current Scottish record and third best on the UK all-time list.

4 Simon Pride’s World 100 km Victory

In 1999, Scotland went one better when Simon Pride (Keith and District) stormed to the gold medal at the World 100 km Championship at Chevennes-en-Pallier in France, recording 6 hours 24 minutes 05 seconds. Living only a few miles from Don Ritchie in Moray, Pride had been inspired and guided by the training and racing attitude of his illustrious compatriot. In an exciting last 10 km, he prevailed over the Frenchman Thierry Guichard by a mere 21 seconds! His time is still a Scottish (and GB) road record.

5 Pauline Walker’s Three Scottish Records in Six Hours at Perth Ultra Festival

In 2008, by way of encouraging Scottish athletes to gain qualifying performances for the inaugural 2009 Commonwealth Ultra and Mountain Running Championships, an ultra festival featuring the two championship distances of 100 km and 24 hours was held at the North Inch park in Perth. It was the first time in the UK that both championship distances had been staged simultaneously within one event. Carnegie Harrier Pauline Walker stole the show by setting three Scottish ultra records, having run steadily to reach 100 miles in 17 hours 12 minutes 22 seconds at almost 3 a.m. in the morning. She then pushed on relentlessly to make the most of the near-perfect conditions to surpass her existing record at 200 km (124.5 miles) in 22.48.28 and for the 24 hour distance of 130 miles 607 yards.

Adrian Stott, Don Ritchie and Willie Sichel

6 Ritchie’s Other Records

Although Ritchie’s 100 km record is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of his achievements, his legendary status is well worthy of a second mention. Although not realised at the time, he is now generally acknowledged worldwide as being pivotal in pioneering modern ultra distance training which, accompanied by his modesty but total self-belief and determination, led him to break the listed ‘World Best Performances’ at all distances from 30 miles up to 200 km. The World 24 hour mark was the one major record that eluded him, though to be fair he did lower the World 200 km mark on three separate occasions in 24 hour races. His first 200 km record was in some ways the most memorable as it was the only world best performance he managed to break in Scotland. This, in true Ritchie tradition, was achieved at an event, organised by your writer, at Coatbridge track on a very wet October weekend in 1983. The wind was so strong it kept blowing over the trackside leaderboard. Andy Milroy, the renowned ultra distance statistician, when asked in 1999 to name his ‘ultra runner of the century’, fittingly nominated the quiet Scot from Lossiemouth.

7 Noremac and the Scottish Six Day Record

Noremac was the name adopted by Edinburgh runner George D Cameron who, well over 100 years ago when ‘Pedestrianism’ flourished, was one of a number of Scots who, fuelled by prize money and public fascination, took part in multi-day events up to 1000 miles in duration. In the 1870s and 1880s events from 6 hours to 1000 miles were staged on small indoor tracks. The Herald’s Doug Gillon in a more recent article captured the spirit of the events. “From the Pacific West Coast of America to Europe to New Zealand, thousands upon thousands of excited fans screamed themselves silly as they witnessed the sporting spectacle of the Victorian period. The sight of scores of rugged men dressed in an array of colourful costumes making their way around sawdust tracks for up to six days and nights, captured the hearts of the sporting public.” Behind all the outer show were talented athletes who trained hard to achieve some amazing performances and they were well rewarded with good prize money. At Madison Square Garden in October 1882 Noremac (Cameron backwards!) set what is still the Scottish Six Day record of 567 miles (+ 4 laps).

8 West Highland Way Race

Scotland’s iconic long-distance footpath on one mid-summer weekend hosts the longest event to receive a permit from Scottish Athletics. For most readers, walking ‘The Way’ in a sensible timescale like a week, with overnight camping or B&B is probably what comes to mind. The West Highland Way Race gives you 35 hours to travel from Milngavie just north of Glasgow through varied terrain to Fort William. Bobby Shields and Duncan Watson, two of Scotland’s most experienced hill runners of the time, challenged each other in 1985, taking 17 hours 48 minutes and 30 seconds. Their legendary exploits have been repeated now by over 500 people of all standards and the event attracts ultra runners from around the world. The current race records are held by Englishman Jezz Bragg who ran 15 hours 44 minutes and 50 seconds in 2006 and Scotland’s Lucy Colquhoun who ran 17 hours 16 minutes and 20 seconds in 2007.

9 The Munros in a single round on foot

While most walkers dream of completing the Munros (all the Scottish mountains over 3000 feet) in several years, if not a lifetime, hill runners have other ideas. The fastest recorded round of all the 283 peaks is apparently held by Charlie Campbell, a Glasgow postie, who between May 29^th and July 16^th 2000 ran, biked and swam (Mull and Skye!) all the Munros in 48 days 12 hours. Hugh Symonds set a record for completing the round completely on foot in 1990 with his wife and family in support. Unlike Campbell, he did not use a bike but did all the linking by foot, although he stayed relatively dry by rowing to Skye and yachting to Mull. Symonds was one of Britain’s leading fell runners of the time, and didn’t stop after his last Munro but continued on foot to the Lake District to ‘bag’ all the 3000 foot peaks, following that with all the Welsh 3000s. Only as an afterthought he took a ferry to Ireland to complete a remarkable journey through the highest Irish hills. In 1994 Mike Cudahy, another legendary ultra trail and hill runner, apparently having time on his hands when retired, undertook what is believed to be the fastest complete journey of the Munros completely on foot, one day faster than Symonds (66 days). He did however take the ferries to/between Mull and Skye. The exact distance involved of a continuous Munro round obviously varies, but Martin Moran records his winter round of 1984-1985 of being 1028 miles with 412,000 feet of climbing. By any stretch of the imagination, doing the Munros at speed is an impressive achievement.

10 The Ramsay Round

The Ramsay Round is arguably the toughest ultra challenge in Scotland for which records are kept. The Lake District has its Bob Graham Round, and Wales the Paddy Buckley Round. Phillip Tranter in 1964 established a 36 mile (19 summits) round of the Lochaber hills at Fort William. Edinburgh’s Charlie Ramsay planned and completed a longer, and far more demanding round of the Lochaber hills in 1978 by extending Tranter’s route to 56 miles with 24 Munro summits and a total of 28,500 feet of climbing. As with all these classic rounds, the idea is to do them in 24 hours! Everest in a day! Charlie, by his own admission, had to ‘fairly leg it’ down Ben Nevis, the final descent, to finish in 23 hours 58 minutes! To date, only 55 runners have completed ‘The Ramsay’. Compare that with the few thousand who have completed the Bob Graham to tell you how difficult a challenge it is. The current men’s record is held by Adrian Belton (18 hours 23 minutes) and the women’s record by Scottish and GB international Helene Diamantides (20 hours 24 minutes).

Glasgow University: Hares & Hounds, Early 60’s

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Back Row: Ray Baillie in the middle and Nick Rogers second from the left

Second Row: Tor Denstad, Terry Kerwin, Craig Sharp, Brian Scobie, Willie Diverty, Brian Kennedy

Front Row: Allan Faulds, Calum Laing, Dick Hartley and Cameron Shepherd

It is unusual for any University team to make it to the top in team competition for many reasons. First there is the regular turnover of students as they arrive and graduate. There was a time when the ‘chronic’ was a feature in every university – the student who went on either doing degree after degree and never working for a living, but these days are gone. Second a habit seems to be developing, or have developed for students, after graduation, moving to another establishment for their PhD and increasingly they are leaving the country. Third we have a situation where many, if not most, students continue to represent their clubs while studying rather than temporarily transfer allegiance to the University team. Rumour has it that Bobby Calderwood of VPAAC was one of the very first to keep on racing for his club team during his student days, and certainly when Glasgow University won the ScotUnis eight times in succession in the 80’s several prominent members only ran for them in Scottish or British University competition while competing against them for the rest of the year. It is therefore not all that common for any University squad to reach the heights.

When we talk of good University teams the immediate point of reference is the great Edinburgh University runners who won the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay three times in the late 60’s and were running well right into the 70’s. But before their heyday, the Glasgow University team was hailed as the best ever Scottish University team. Several very good runners just happened to appear at the same time, to prefer to run for GUAC or GU Hares and Hounds and to enjoy each other’s company. The names fondly remembered by those who saw them come easily to mind: in alphabetical order they were Ray Baillie, Jim Bogan, Tor Denstad, Allan Faulds, Douglas Gifford, Calum Laing, Nick Rogers, Cameron Shepherd, Brian Scobie, and several others. Allan Faulds will be profiled on the ‘Elite Endurance’ page of this website and it would maybe be appropriate to look at some of the other members of this group first before taking the team as a whole. By the way, if anyone has more names for the photograph above, would they let me know?

Calum Laing was undoubtedly the top endurance runner for his brief time at University and it is a real pity that he did not carry on with his career after graduation. He was a son of the manse from Ross-shire who appeared in the 1960 National Cross Country Championship as one of only two seniors entered by Inverness Harriers when he finished down the field in sixty second place. In two short years he moved up to third place when representing Glasgow and leading the team (Laing 3, Gifford 27, Hartley 38, Rodgers 67, Denstad 123 and Campbell 146) to third place. The quality of this run can be seen from the names of the first eight finishers – Jim Alder, Andy Brown, Calum Laing, Steve Taylor, Alastair Wood, Bertie Irving, John McLaren and John Linaker. His reward was a run in the International Cross-Country Championship where he was a scoring runner in thirty seventh position. The country was his real forte and in 1963 he again made the team for the International Championship and was again a counting runner, finishing in sixty third place. In the National in 1964 he was eighth, his second best placing, and the team was fourth. An inspiration, he had several very good runs in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Race. In 1960 he raced the second stage and picked up from twelfth to fourth for the team that was to pick up the bronze medals. A year later he again ran the second stage and pulled the team from fifteenth to twelfth on this very difficult leg with second quickest run of the day but the following year, 1962, he ran even better bringing the team from fourth to first with the fastest time for the leg.

1962 was to be his best year on the track with four personal best times which are noted below. That for the Six Miles was set when winning the SAAA championship, (he had already won the West District Six Miles) and the Three Miles time was set when he was third in the District championships, he was also third in the National Three miles. So – two first places and two third places. Many of his team-mates and rivals thought that he could have been an Olympian but unfortunately he had a short career before leaving University.

Distance	Time	Year	Ranking
One Mile	4:15.0	1962	12
Two Miles	9:12.4	1962	8
Three Miles	14:01.6	1962	4
Six Miles	29:53.8	1962	3

When his University days were over he ran for Victoria Park. Nationally he ran in two Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays and one National winning medals in two out of the three. In the E-G in 1965 he ran on the fifth stage for the team which was third, turning in the second fastest time. In 1968 he ran in the last stage, taking over fourth and holding it to the finish. In the National in 1966, he was thirty second in the team that took silver.

In his official history of the SCCU, “Whatever the Weather”, Colin Shields says in his review of the 1962 Cross-Country Championship, ’24 year old agricultural student Calum Laing, a son of the manse from the North of Scotland studying at Glasgow University, was the best distance runner produced by any Scottish university to date.’

UAU team (in front) and the SUCC team at Durham, 1960: Jim Bogan on the left in the back row, Don Macgregor third from left.

Picture from Donald Macgregor’s “Running My Life”

Jim Bogan stayed as part of the University faculty after he graduated and became “one of Britain’s leading figures in veterinary medicine.” A member of Victoria Park AAC (as indeed was Calum Laing) he was a steeplechaser during the track season and when Lachie Stewart set the SAAA 3000m steeplechase title, Jim was one of the early pacemakers. The steeplechase was to prove his best event and he was ranked among the top men in the event almost every year in which he competed seriously with a best of 9:40.4 in 1966. His best Mile time was 4:18.2 and for Three Miles he is credited with 14:55.0 in 1960.

In 1960 Jim in thirteenth place led the University Junior team to third place in the National Cross-Country Championship. He was followed home by Hunter (16), Gifford (27) and Hartley (28). He joined some of the men who would make up the really good team of later years and which was second in the Scottish Junior Cross-Country Championships in 1961. Douglas Gifford (9), Bogan (13), Baillie (22) and Shepherd (23) were the counting runners. In his third year in the Junior age group he was in the team which won the Junior championship giving him the complete set of gold, silver and bronze for the National team race. The runners that day were Allan Faulds (4), Jim Bogan (5), Cameron Shepherd (16) and Ray Baillie (23).

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in 1959 he was ninth on the first stage for the team that finished thirteenth. In 1960, he ran on the first stage for the team that was placed third – he was twelfth on the first stage before Calum Laing brought the University up to fourth, from which position the others worked their way up to third. In 1961 he was fourth fastest on the third stage, bringing the team from twelfth to sixth – six places was really something in the E-G. When the University team was third in the Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1962, Jim Bogan ran on the third stage again and although dropping one place it was from first to second after Calum Laing’s fastest time on Stage Two, so there was no disgrace in that! In 1963 he ran the last stage and picked up one place from seventh to sixth with again the fourth fastest of the afternoon. By 1964, many of the top men had moved on but Jim was still there, running the last stage he maintained fifteenth position. No fair weather runner he was out for the team again in 1966 running the very difficult second stage and held on to seventeenth place. By 1967 the team had slumped to nineteenth and Jim ran the seventh stage picking up from twentieth to nineteenth. That was to be his last run in the race.

He stayed on as a member of the staff of the University and became President of the University Hares & Hounds. In that capacity he was responsible for many innovations – the key one being the University Road Race every year in November. He stayed as a member of Victoria Park too as a recreational runner and it came as a shock to us all when he died following a road accident while on holiday in Grenoble in July 1988. An excellent athlete, he was very easy to get on with and was popular with all athletes regardless of club or generation. He was a runner first and foremost and runners always know their own.

Douglas Gifford was a very good athlete who, like many University athletes of the period, just seemed to stop competitive running when his student days were over. A key member of this excellent team, he excelled in student matches and championships, and showed great ability in open competition. In the National Championships, Douglas appears in the 1959 Glasgow University team when his twenty fifth place headed the four counting men to fifth place. In 1960 he was twenty seventh and third scoring runner in the Junior team that finished third and one year later his ninth place led the team to silver in the National championship. Unfortunately he was a year out of sync with Jim Bogan and moved up to the senior ranks and by so doing missed the gold Junior medals of the following year. Nevertheless he was twenty seventh in his first Senior National behind Calum Laing’s third place. The team was eighth. Unfortunately, despite all his good running, he was not a member of the team that was placed fourth in 1964. He continued to run for the University from time to time but by 1966 the team had broken up – Calum Laing was running for Victoria Park in the National , Allan Faulds for Stirling and Dick Hodelet for Greenock Glenpark Harriers while Douglas was fiftieth running in the University colours.

His record in the E-G covers the same period. In 1959, in his first run in the event, he was on the second stage – seldom a good idea for a first run in that event – and did well to limit the drop to four places. In 1960, he was given a job which might even have been slightly more difficult – taking over in fourth place on the sixth stage surrounded by top class athletes. He kept the position and the team was third at the end of the race. In 1960 he was again on the Stage Six and held the sixth place that he had been given by Dick Hartley. 1962 brought him another bronze medal. This time he was on the fourth stage and ran the third fastest time on the stage to hand over in second place for the team which eventually finished third. In 1964, the team lost several members and in the E-G Glasgow University finished fifteenth with Douglas back on the sixth stage.

In the picture below he is seen leading the 1960 Scottish Universities Championships which he won with Glasgow winning the team race. It is described in Don Macgregor’s autobiography “Running My Life”, from which the photograph was taken, as follows: “Our hopes of recording an historic victory in the Scottish Universities Championships the next Saturday, February 6th, were high. The four teams lined up outside St Salvator’s Tower in North Street. Archie Strachan and Willie Diverty, Glasgow’s “manager” and Scottish ‘Athletics Weekly’ correspondent, watched as Professor Dickie, dressed in his usual broad-brimmed black hat, black coat and suit, dropped his hankie and we were off. It was quite sunny and much drier underfoot than the week before. The individual and team struggle was intense along the Kinkell Braes, over to the A917 Crail Road, and up the big hill with its ‘plough’. St Andrews were 12 points ahead with 2 miles to go as we plummeted down from Lochend farm track over the stubble fields with the whole magnificent vista of the city and its towers laid out before us.

Alas for our hopes! The Glasgow middle counters gradually moved up the field. The two best Glasgow runners, Douglas Gifford and Jim Bogan, and I had broken away from the rest quite early on. We stayed together through the streets of the new town and were still together going up Dyers Brae into narrow Abbey Street – widened ten years later – and over South Street into South Castle Street. It was only over the last 300 yards that Gifford and Bogan were able to break away from me to take the first two places for Glasgow with five seconds covering the first three. David Jeffrey followed me home in 4th. Glasgow also took the team medals, but there were only 7 points in it.”

The extract is interesting for several reasons, the first being that the race was started by dropping a hankie. This was very common practice in road and cross country races with the old joke being about the difficulty of hearing the recall hankie in the event fo a false start. Second is the fact that it was a single lap trail – nowadays the ease of spectating plays a part and it is much more usual to have a course of two, three or even four laps. The Glasgow University home course was also one single, big, challenging lap which started at Garscadden Playing Fields went up on to the Great Western Road Boulevard past the Drumchapel Road entrance and then over the hilly fields of Braidfield and Langfaulds Farms before making its way back down the Boulevard. The officials started the race and their watches, repaired to the clubhouse for tea and elegant conversation coming back out when they estimated the first runner would appear. What is not different is the ferocity of the battle for individual and team victory.

Winner Doug Gifford in the SUCC Championships leading at three miles up to Crail Road.

Jim Bogan was second

The coming together of the team can maybe best be seen by following the fortunes of the Edinburgh to Glasgow squad. The first significant group was in the relay of November 1959 when Jim Bogan ran a fairly steady first leg to hand over in ninth place to Doug Gifford. Being new to the event and against top quality opposition he dropped to thirteenth, a position kept by Dick Hartley on teh short Stage Three. S Hunter brought them up to tenth before S Kerr and Nick Rogers dropped to thirteenth leaving Tor Denstad and J Gray to bring the team home in that position. Six of the names that would bring success to the Hares and Hounds are there. 1960 saw them win their first medals in the event. Jim Bogan again led off but was slightly lower than the previous year with twelfth place before new boy Laing brought them up to fourth with the second fastest stage of the day. His example was followed by Rogers who was second fastest on Stage Three catching another place. Hunter had third fastest but dropped a place on the fourth. Gray (seventh fastest) held it, as did Gifford on the sixth stage (fifth fastest), before Hartley brought them up to third, a position held by Denstad on the final stage. 1961 wasn’t quite so good with the team crossing the finish line in eighth. Ray Baillie had a poor first stage handing over in fifteenth, although when I say ‘poor’ you should bear in mind that it was the top twenty teams in Scotland and he was against their chosen first runners. Everything is relative! Calum again had a good second stage and turned in the second fastest time again to hand the baton over to Jim Bogan in sixth. Jim ran the fourth fastest of the stage to move up to sixth, Dick Hartley maintained it as did Cameron Shepher who had the third fastest fifth stage that year. Doug Gifford kept it on the hard and long Stage Six before Norman McPhail dropped to seventh and then Tor Denstad lost one more place to eighth. Two additions and some team shuffling by the selectors brought the team into medal winning contention again in 1962. This time Dick Hartley started the ball rolling with fourth on the first stage before Calum Laing moved into first with the fastest outing on Stage Two. Jim Bogan dropped one place but from first at the end of a close fought second, that’s no disgrace – he again had fourth fastest time of the day. Dougie Gifford ran the third quickest fourth stage to hold second before Ray Bailllie dropped one to third. This was held all the way to the finish by Allan Faulds (fourth fastest), Cameron Shepherd (second fastest and Brian Scobie on the last leg. That was the last of the really good teams and many of them graduated and moved on and the following year the squad had dropped to fifteenth in the race.

As noted above, the Junior team went from third to second to first in the National with Bogan, Hunter, Hartley, Gifford, Faulds, Shepherd and Baillie moving through. As Seniors they never seemed to reach the same heights. In 1962, Laing (third), Gifford (27th), Hartley (38th), Rodgers (67th), Denstad (123rd) and Campbell (146th) were eighth and in ’63 they failed to finish a team behind Laing, Rodgers, Hartley and Gray. 1964 was probably their best team in the senior event – Laing was eighth, Faulds fourteenth, Kerwin forty second, Shepherd forty third, Hodelet fifty seventh and Hartley sixty first – behind ESH, Aberdeen and Motherwell and ahead of Shettleston. The following year they were ninth, Ray Baillie in twenty sixth was the first finisher, Cameron Shepherd forty third ……………….. and the results thereafter have big gaps so that the rest of the team is not available and the fourth place of the year before was the best the seniors were to achieve.

Allan Faulds provided some of the results from the Scottish Universities Cross-Country Championships between 1962 and 1964 and they are actually quite impressive.

1962: 1st Calum Laing; 2nd Doug Gifford; 3rd J Bogan; 7th Cameron Shepherd; 8th Allan Faulds; 13th Dick Hartley. Points total was 34 points which won the team race from Edinburgh on 45 points, St Andrews on 115 points and Aberdeen 139 points.
1963: 1st Calum Laing; 8th Allan Faulds; 10th Brian Scobie; 14th Tor Denstad; 15th Cameron Shepherd; 17th Ray Baillie. Points total of 65 put them second behind Edinburgh’s 53 with St Andrews on 96 and Aberdeen on 103.
1964: 2nd Calum Laing; 5th Allan Faulds; 6th Brian Scobie; 11th Terry Kerwin; 12th Cameron Shepherd; 13th Jim Bogan. The total of 49 points gave them a comfortable victory over Edinburgh (71) with Aberdeen third (83), St Andrews 4th (110) and the Royal College of Science and Technology (later to become Strathclyde University) fifth with 189 points.

That it was a very good team, there is no doubt. Times and marks for some of those not covered so far include: Dick Hodelet (only ranked times for 1963 and 1964 are included since he was back with Greenock Glenpark Harriers by 1995) – 880 in 1963 of 1:54.2; in 1962 he had times of 10.2 (100 yards, ranked 16th), 49.9 (440 yards, 10th) and 1:52.6 (880 yards, 2nd); Brian Scobie 1964, 880 yards in 1:55.6; 1965, 880 yards in 1:54.5. Ray Baillie 1961, 1 Mile in 4:26; ’62, 1 Mile in 4:17, 1963, Three Miles in 14:41; JB Gray 1959, Three Miles in 14:45.

Edinburgh University Hare & Hounds

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

EUH&H in 1965: Gareth Evans, Fergus Murray, Frank Gamwell, Chris Elson, Roger Young, Ian Young, Alistair Matson and Chris Elson

First let’s get the terminology right: in Glasgow the students cross-country team is called the Hares and Hounds, in Edinburgh they only have one hare – so it’s Hare and Hounds. Both answer however to the name of The Haries! The following series of profiles was written by Colin Youngson who knew them all well when he was teaching and living in Edinburgh and his admiration for the team is boundless.

Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds nurtured so many fine athletes, many of whom have been profiled here under ‘Marathon Stars’ or ‘Elite Athletes’ or ‘The Chasers’. Consider this impressive list: Martin Craven, Donald Macgregor, Fergus Murray, Alex and Jim Wight, Alistair Blamire, Gareth Bryan-Jones, Andy McKean, Jim Dingwall and Phil Mowbray. But what about the supporting cast: very good runners who contributed to great success in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay or the Scottish National Cross-Country Championships? EU H&H were usually the best long distance running team in Scotland from 1965 to 1968. They won the E-G from 1965 to 1967 and the National Senior from 1966 to 1968. The potential was clear in 1963 when they won the Scottish Junior cross-country title with a team including Chris Elson and Roger Young. Frank Gamwell was part of the outfit which won again in 1964; and the students made it a hat-trick when Roger Young took part again, along with Ian Young. Willie Allan was one of the 1965 E to G record breakers; and Ian Hathorn was in the 1966 E to G triumph. These seven athletes will be profiled briefly.

Roger Young won two Scottish Junior Cross-Country team golds, and in 1965 finished second individual, defeated only by the immensely talented Ian McCafferty. In the E-G he was in the team which finished second in 1964, and was second fastest on Stage Eight in 1965 when EU won and broke the course record. Roger achieved eighth place (second team counter behind Fergus Murray) in the 1966 National. On the track he ran 14:20.6 for three miles.

Chris Elson won a Scottish Junior Cross-Country gold in 1963, finishing seventh individual. In the Senior National he obtained team bronze in 1965 and gold in 1967. In the E-G Chris won silver in 1964, when he was second fastest on Stage Five. When EU triumphed in 1965, he was the second fastest again this time on Stage Four, behind only Andy Brown’s fantastic stage record. Then in both 1966 and 1967, Chris was fastest on Stage Eight in the winning team. He broke the stage record in 1966. On the track, he seems to have concentrated on the mile with a best time of 4:10.9.

Frank Gamwell was thirteenth in the 1964 Scottish Junior Cross-Country when his team won the title. In 1966 he was one of the victorious Edinburgh University runners in the Senior National. Previously he won silver in the 1964 E-G and then gold in 1965 when he was fastest on Stage Five. As a summer athlete, Frank ran nearly everything: one mile (4:19), two (9:13.4), three (14:17.8) and six miles 29:33.0), steeplechase (9:35.4) and eventually the marathon (2:35:14).

Ian Young also ran for Springburn Harriers. He was a counter for Scotland in the ICCU Junior Championships in both 1964, when he finished twenty second, and in 1965, when he was seventeenth. In the 1965 Scottish Junior he had achieved sixth place. As a Senior he was fifteenth in 1967 when EU won team gold. In the E-G Ian was fastest on Stage Eight when EU won the silver in 1964. Then in 1966, winning team gold, he was second fastest on Stage Five, only one second slower than Alastair Johnston’s record (for Victoria Park) Ian’s team won again in 1967, when once more he was second-fastest on Stage Five, one second slower than Aberdeen’s Steve Taylor. In 1968, although EU could manage only seventh, Ian was easily fastest on Stage Five when he broke the record. As a track athlete, Ian Young had many fierce battles with Alistair Blamire over three miles. Ian’s best time was 14:01.6 and he won a silver medal in the 1967 AAA Championships.

Willie Allan won Senior National team golds in 1967, with EU, and in 1969 with Edinburgh Southern Harriers. He ran Stage Three in the famous 1965 record-breaking Edinburgh University E-G team. For several seasons Willie was a good steeplechaser with a best of 9:13. Nowadays, relatively speaking, he is running better than ever, winning British cross-country and road titles in the over-60 age-groups.

Ian Hathorn’s finishing sprint for nineteenth place proved vital in the Senior National in 1968. He ended up one place in front Aberdeen’s Joe Clare and EU won the team title by a single point. Ian could cover 880 yards in 1:54 while Joe was a 2:18 marathon runner. In the E-G, Ian’s best run was in the EU team that won in 1966 when he broke the record on Stage Three. He also won gold in 1967.

After University, many Edinburgh University graduates joined either ESH (Craven, Macgregor, Murray, Blamire, Bryan-Jones) or EAC (Alex and Jim Wight, McKean, Dingwall). But who were among the most prominent team mates for these stars and others such as Southern’s Allister Hutton and John Robson and EAC’s Jim Alder, Adrian Weatherhead, Doug Gunstone, Jim Dingwall, Sandy Keith and Lindsay Robertson?

Scottish Universities Cross Country Championships

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Scottish Universities Championships, Elspeth Turner 1984

Pictures from Graham MacIndoe’s Galleries.

The Scottish Universities Championships have produced some exciting races and close victories in both team and individual races over the years and many of the very finest athletes the country has produced have graced the competitions. It is strange therefore that there is no comprehensive list of results for former students, or simply students of athletics available for consultation. In an effort to address this, Colin Youngson has done some research and with help from Fraser Clyne, Alex Wilson, George Brown and Kenny Ballantyne has come up with the following tables. There are several gaps, particularly in the women’s list, and any information helping us to complete them would be welcome. Men first and then the women, whose championship only started in 1975.

Year	Winning Team	First Individual	Year	Winning Team	First Individual	Year	Winning Team	First Individual
1939	Glasgow	Morris Carstairs (Edin)	1967	Edinburgh	Ian Young (Edin)	1991	Edinburgh	Adam Eyre-Walker (Edin)
1944	Glasgow	JG Gray (Edin)	1968	Edinburgh	Dave Logue (Edin)	1992	Edinburgh	Phil Mowbray (Edin)
1945	Glasgow	JW Martin (Edin)	1969	Edinburgh	Ken Fyfe (Heriot-Watt)	1993	Edinburgh	Phil Mowbray (Edin)
1946	Glasgow	Gerry Young (Edin)	1970	Strathclyde	Dave Logue (Edin)	1994		Christian Nicolson (Edin)
1947	Glasgow	Dick Kendall (Aberdeen	1971	Strathclyde	Alistair Blamire (Edin)	1995		Phil Mowbray (Edin)
1948	Glasgow	Tom Braid (Edin)	1972	Glasgow	Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen)	1996		Sandy Moss (Aberdeen)
1949	Edinburgh	Tom Braid (Edin)	1973	Edinburgh	Andy McKean (Edin)	1997		Phil Mowbray (Edin)
1950	Edinburgh	Tom Braid (Edin)	1974	Glasgow	Dave Logue (Glasgow)	1998		Pat O’Keefe (Edin)
1951	Edinburgh	Jim Brydie (Edin)	1975	Glasgow	Paul Kenney (Dundee)	1999 February		Mike Carroll (Abertay)
1952	Edinburgh	Jim Brydie (Edin)	1976	Glasgow	Lawrie Spence (Strathclyde)	1999 November	Edinburgh	Ryan Montgomery (Paisley)
1953	Edinburgh	Jim Finlayson (Glasgow)	1977	Glasgow	Paul Kenney (Dundee)	2000		Owen Greene (St Andrew’s)
1954	Edinburgh	Adrian Jackson (Edin)	1978	Glasgow	Graham Clark (Strathclyde)	2001		Gary Crossan (Abertay)
1955	Edinburgh	Jim Finlayson (Glasgow)	1979	Glasgow	Fraser Clyne (Glasgow)	2002	Strathclyde	Andrew Lemoncello (Stirling)
1956	Edinburgh	Alastair Wood (Aberdeen)	1980	Glasgow	Brian McSloy (Strathclyde)	2003	Edinburgh	Andrew Lemoncello (Stirling)
1957	Edinburgh		1981	Glasgow	Alastair Douglas (Glasgow)	2004		John Newsom (Stirling)
1958	Edinburgh		1982	Edinburgh	Alastair Douglas (Glasgow)	2005		Iain McCorquodale (Strathclyde)
1959	Edinburgh	Adrian Jackson (Edin)	1983	Edinburgh	Callum Henderson (Edin)	2006	Strathclyde	Alastair Hay (Queen Margaret UC)
1960	Glasgow	Douglas Gifford (Glasgow)	1984	Edinburgh	Callum Henderson (Edin)	2007	Edinburgh	Conor McNulty (Strathclyde)
1961	Edinburgh	Calum Laing (Glasgow	1985	Glasgow	Richard Archer (St Andrew’s)	2008	Edinburgh	Conor McNulty (Strathclyde)
1962	Glasgow	Calum Laing (Glasgow)	1986	Glasgow	Bobby Quinn (Glasgow)	2009	Edinburgh	Michael Gillespie (Edin)
1963	Edinburgh	Calum Laing (Glasgow)	1987	Glasgow	Alastair Douglas (Glasgow)	2010	Edinburgh	Michael Gillespie (Edin)
1964	Glasgow	Fergus Murray (Edinburgh	1988	Edinburgh	Richard Archer (St Andrews)	2011	Edinburgh	Lachlan Oates (Glasgow)
1965	Edinburgh	Fergus Murray (Edinburgh)	1989	Edinburgh	Ian Hamer (Heriot-Watt)	2012	Edinburgh	Michael Crawley (Edin)
1966	Edinburgh	Fergus Murray (Edinburgh)	1990	Edinburgh	Ian Harkness (Edin)	2013	Aberdeen	David Vernon (Aberdeen)

Scottish University Championships 1984

Complete results from the Universities Championship in 1971 are available here : thanks to Alex Jackson for passing them on.

Women’s Championship : 1975 to 2011

Year	Winning Team	First Individual	Year	Winning Team	First Individual
1975	Edinburgh		1994		Hayley Parkinson (Edin)
1976			1995	Glasgow	Elizabeth Riley (Aberdeen)
1977		Ruby Young (Glasgow)	1996		Sheila Fairweather (Glasgow)
1978			1997		Katy Rice (Edin)
1979		Barbara Harvie (Aberdeen)	1998		Ann McPhail (Glasgow)
1980		Fiona McQueen (Glasgow)	1999 February		Kirsty Munro (Edin)
1981		Fiona McQueen (Glasgow)	1999 November	Edinburgh	Ruth McKean (Aberdeen)
1982	Edinburgh	Jean Lorden (Edin)	2000		Toni McIntosh (Stirling)
1983		Linsey MacDonakl (Edin)	2001		Gillian Palmer (Edin)
1984	Glasgow	Kirsty Husband (Glasgow)	2002		Toni McIntosh (Stirling)
1985	Glasgow	Kirsty Husband (Glasgow)	2003	Edinburgh	Rosie Smith (Edin)
1986	Strathclyde	Lynne MacDougall (Strathclyde)	2004		Rosie Smith (Edin)
1987	Glasgow	Audrey Sym (Glasgow)	2005		Lyn Wilson (Heriot Watt)
1988	Edinburgh	Alison Rose (Dundee)	2006	Edinburgh	Pam Nicholson (Aberdeen)
1989	Glasgow	Audrey Sym (Glasgow)	2007	Edinburgh	Edel Mooney (Heriot Watt)
1990	Edinburgh	Yvette Hague (Edin)	2008	Edinburgh	Morag MacLarty (Dundee)
1991	Glasgow	Vikki MacPherson (Glasgow)	2009	Edinburgh	Morag MacLarty (Dundee)
1992	Glasgow	Joanna Cliffe (Glasgow)	2010	Dundee	Elspeth Curran (Glasgow)
1993	Edinburgh	Joanna Cliffe (Glasgow)	2011	Edinburgh	Morag MacLarty (Dundee)
			2012	Edinburgh	Rhona Auckland (Edin)

The following results were received from Faser Clyne, to whom many thanks.Results for 2013

Men: David Vernon (Aberdeen), Grant Sheldon (Stirling), Tom Martin (Edinburgh) Venue: Aberdeen

Women: Laureen Quee (Glasgow), Katie Bristow (Strath), Mhairi McLennan (Edin)

2014:

Men: Lachlan Oates (Glasgow), Michael Ferguson (Aberdeen), Ryan Thomson (Strath) Venue: Dundee

Women: Louise Mercer (Edin), Mhairi McLennan (Edin), Stephie Pennycook (Edin)

2015:

Men: Scott Stirling (Edin), Dale Colley (CoG College), Andrew Lawler (Edin) Venue: Stirling

Women: Steph Pennycook (Edin), Angela Richardson (St Andrews), Fanni Gyurko (Glasgow)

Edinburgh won the women’s team race in each of these years, in the men’s race Edinburgh won in 2013 and 2015 with Glasgow winning in 2014.

Edinburgh University 10 Miles

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Author

Start of Edinburgh 10, 1985

I only ever raced in this race once – a Clydesdale Harriers team went through and we actually won with Allan Faulds, Ian Donald and Doug Gemmell being the counting runners. It was a good, hard two lap trail with an enormous climb to be done soon after the start of the lap and there was a long downhill run beside the golf course before turning into the finish at King’s Buildings. Enjoyable race over a king of fiercely undulating trail but I didn’t go back! Colin Youngson has written the account below.

The Edinburgh University Ten Miles Open race took place in mid-February or early March and I first ran the March 1^st 1971 version. The Aberdeen University newspaper ‘Gaudie’ reports only that Don Ritchie was 5^th in 50 minutes 8 seconds and that I managed 8^th and a PB for the distance of 51.04. However I won the handicap event with Don third. Respectively we won a coffee set and an umbrella; plus our third team place won us sets of bathroom scales! Nevertheless, this race was a serious challenge. The start was at King’s Buildings, and then you swooped downhill and over a few undulations past The Hermitage. A left turn transformed things, as you struggled up a series of very steep slopes, before emerging on the road which skimmed past the Braid Hills golf course. Then it was a screaming descent and nasty little climb before passing the start again. Nowadays the race continues as the EU Five Miles but in the past real men had to face two laps of this exhausting trail.

On Saturday 3^rd March 1973 Andy McKean won in 50.21. After a race-long contest with Martin Craven I just managed to escape before the finish. Our times were 50.43 and 50.49. My training diary comments: “Almost sick at the end. Very hard. Andy mucking about in front. At least beat five who got me in the National including Jim Dingwall.”

It would appear that I also finished second in the 1976 version but now I can only guess that it was Doug Gunstone who was well in front, probably in 49 minutes or so. Certainly I never beat 50 minutes in this race.

1979’s race on Saturday 3^rd March was a bad one for me – only 7^th in 52.34. Aberdeen’s Graham Laing won in 50.43, from Doug Gunstone, Don Macgregor, Dave Clark, Fraser Clyne and Martin Craven. ESH finished second team, and each of us won sixteen Mars bars!

The reason why prizes had become more acceptable to typical carbo-loving beer-drinking runners was that the eccentric Robin ‘YP’ Thomas (future founder of that zany but successful club Hunter’s Bog Trotters) had taken over the race organisation, although the course remained as formidable. (YP’s nickname was coined by Don Macgregor when he could not remember the name of the bold 18 year-old who turned up for long Sunday runs, so he referred to him as ‘Young Penicuik’, since Robin’s family home was near there.)

The programme (costing 5 new pence) for the 1980 race proclaimed that “the Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds 10-mile road race (8.87 Scots miles, since a Scots mile is approximately a furlong longer than an English mile) has grown to become the SCCU’s biggest and most prestigious 10-mile road race. It now attracts Olympic and Commonwealth Games stars, British Internationalists, Scottish Internationalists, English Internationalists, SUSF and BUSF representatives and droves of runners of lesser ability.” (On reflection, if Don Macgregor and Fergus Murray had turned up, along with a good runner from Newcastle and a jogger or two, all of the above categories would be covered.)

The course is covered in pedantic detail. “The race starts on K.B. Campus (to the west of the Chemistry Building), heads westward through Blackford, up Midmar Avenue and Midmar Drive and along Hermitage Drive. There follows a steep climb up Braid Road, before the course heads eastward along Braid Hills Drive. Thereafter it’s down Alnwickhill Road and Liberton Brae, up Mayfield Road and onto West Mains Road. Then comes the bad news – there’s still another lap to go before the finish back on K.B. campus.” Then the programme goes on about Andy McKean being the most prominent past winner; about the unfortunate clash of fixtures with the Hyde Park Relay in London; and about the lack of cash which has meant that “as club funds are habitually less than zero, we have had to charge exorbitant entry fees (ten shillings – Ye Gods! What’s the world coming to?) and scrounge minor sponsorships in order to provide everyone with a meal and to offer our usual ‘utilitarian’ prizes.”

“Slugs (i.e. people who are not members of EUH&H are invited to take part. Top prizes will be awarded to the First Slug and to the First Team of Slugs. As indicated above, all members of the Hare and Hounds, not being slugs, do not qualify for these prizes (we also reserve the right to disqualify EU Athletic Club and Orienteering Club runners, so that genuine fat slugs can take part and win). So, stub out your Capstan Full Strength, drain your pint of Export, and look out a pair of training shoes. You could win our start prizes – a keg of Export and half an ounce. Spectators will also enjoy the pie-eating contest and a refreshment session after the race.”

On Saturday 1^st March 1980 I fought hard but failed to beat Sandy Keith of EAC. He handled the downhills much better than I did and in the end was well clear (50.47) to my 51.05. I only just stayed in front of my ESH club-mate Alex Robertson (51.11). At least this let me retain my club championship, and with the assistance of Martin Craven we won the team prize. I received four cans of beer, a homebrew kit and a jockstrap!

Next year was a classic. On Saturday 14^th February a really good field turned up – because Robin had made it known that there would be malt whisky prizes. Consequently luminaries like Nat Muir and Jim Brown made the trek eastwards! I possess a photo of myself leading both of them – but naturally not for long, although my diary notes with incredulity that I stayed in front of the great Nat for two whole miles. Muir set an impressive new record of 48.37 to win his choice alcoholic prize, with Jim Brown only eleven seconds down. Other fast times were set by Jim Dingwall (49.19) and EAC’s Yamada (49.24). I managed 50.32 to secure the ESH club title and a distant fifth place, in front of several good Scots and Northern English runners.

That would seem to have been my last attempt at this unusual yet testing race. However I remember that a year or two after that there was heavy snowfall and cunning Evan Cameron defeated Don Macgregor in this ten-mile “road” race, because he had the sense to wear spikes!

The EU 10 miles seems to have started in 1965, and there is a set of results from10th June 1967 when Jim Wight (EU) finished in 50.55, in front of Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang) 51.14 and Dave Logue (EU) 52.11. EU won the team race. The present course was adopted in 1970 and I am not sure what the 1965-69 course might have been. Below are the top two and winning teams from 1970 to 1981.

7/3/70 Gareth Bryan-Jones (ESH) 49.48

Andy McKean (EUH&H) 50.37

Team: Clydesdale H

6/3/71 Andy McKean (EUH&H) 49.06

Alastair Johnston (VPAAC) 49.11

Team: EAC

4/3/72 Andy McKean (EUH&H) 49.55

Martin Craven (ESH) 52.12

Team: EUH&H

3/3/73 Andy McKean (EUH&H) 50.21

Colin Youngson (VPAAC) 50.43

Team: EUH&H

2/3/74 Don Macgregor (ESH) 51.08

Nigel Bailey (ESH) 51.08

Team: ESH

1/3/75 Martin Craven (ESH) 49.56

Nigel Bailey (ESH) 50.44

Team: ESH

28/2/76 Doug Gunstone (EAC) 49.57

Colin Youngson (ESH) 50.19

Team: EAC

26/2/77 Andy McKean (EAC) 49.14

Jim Dingwall (Falkirk Victoria H) 49.58

` Team: FVH

11/2/78 John McGarva (FVH) 55.42

Willie Day (FVH) 56.28

Team: FVH

3/3/79 Graham Laing (AAAC) 50.43

Doug Gunstone (EAC) 50.51

Team: Fife AC

1/3/80 Sandy Keith (EAC) 50.47

Colin Youngson (ESH) 51.05

Team: ESH

14/2/81 Nat Muir (Shettleston H) 48.37

Jim Brown (Clyde Valley AC) 48.48

Team: ESH

I would hope that you noted the quality of the athletes who took part in the race – and there was a significant depth to the fields as well. As Colin said at the top of his article, it was not a fast tail but the runners all knew they would have a good hard race and learn a bit more about themselves – as well as having a good time.

Strathclyde University Reminiscences

Posted on September 19, 2015 by The Author

From John Myatt:

Early in 2013 while surfing the web I stumbled across the Scottish Distance Running History website and was amazed to find such an Aladdin’s cave of people I had known during my time at Strathclyde from 1966 to 1970. I was further surprised and humbled to find that my contemporaries Innis Mitchell, Colin Youngson and Alastair Johnston , had submitted my profile as a member of ” the fast pack” along with Brian McAusland who trawled through the records to recall things I had forgotten or never realised . Since then I provided some details and grainy photographs to support the narrative of my peers. Brian subsequently invited me to provide some recollections of my time at Strathclyde for the universities section of the history; so here goes with apologies for the selective and vague recollections of those days of nearly 50 years ago. There is no need to dwell on results in detail as these are given elsewhere and I concentrate on impressions and recollections of an Englishman abroad in the late 1960’s.

Despite there being no running tradition in the family I wanted from an early age to do running in preference to the other sports available. Like so many I was inspired by a mix of the feats of Alf Tupper in the “Rover” and the Amazing Wilson in the “Wizard” comics respectively and by the real life achievements of Bannister in the four minute mile and Chataway’s duel with Kuts at the White City in 1954 .At school running was a long way behind rugby and cricket , the only gesture being an annual school run. In spite of this Cinderella status my secondary school, Sir William Turners Grammar of Redcar, developed a fine cross country tradition in the early 1960’s, winning the North Eastern inter Grammar Schools title in the years 1961 to 65. There were regular senior fixtures against other schools and races at town, area and county level leading to the English Schools championships. It was not until age 17 , as a first year youth, that I joined a club, Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harriers, which gave access to inter-club events in parallel with the schools system.

The choice of Strathclyde University was driven by the course in Business Administration at a respectable distance from home rather than the prospect of joining a strong running team; had that been the case I would have taken up the offer from Leeds University which was then very strong in cross country. It would , in any case , have been difficult to identify Strathclyde’s strengths, except by their absence, from Willie Diverty’s column on Scottish Athletics in “Athletics Weekly” and I was only vaguely aware that Edinburgh were quite good but soon came to realise just how good they were.

So I trod the well-worn path to the Freshers’ Fair in September 1966 and signed on with SUAC. Many years later I learned from George McIvor that no one could believe that a 4.22 miler had signed on as this was beyond the comprehension of the Strathclyde runners of the time. The fact that I was nursing a knee injury and not particularly fit may have encouraged the sceptics although Bobby, “Rocker” as he became known, Thompson did vouch for me, having come up against me in the 1965 National Association of Boy’s Club Championships. A search of “Athletics Weekly” would have shown me finishing 25th in the English National Youth’s Championships behind Martin McMahon (14)and Norman Morrison (16) who led Shettleston to third team place in 1966 at Sheffield.

Prior to going to Strahclyde my exposure to Scotland was limited to a primary school day trip to Edinburgh in 1958 and short walking holidays in the Trossachs and Wester Ross which involved changing trains in Glasgow. Apart from that I had been fed the tartan version of Scotland: White Heather Club, pipe bands ,shortbread and all but was aware that there was more to it than that and looked forward to learning more about what was, even then, a different country rather than one of a set of regions with their own identity such as the South, North and Midlands of England. I do recall being struck by the civic and urban architecture of Glasgow having more in common with continental cities than with Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle. Language was different too and this went beyond a question of accent and I soon learned that a ” trail” was a cross-country course; “stripping ” meant changing accommodation which was, on occasion ” in the back of a dyke” ( here we avoid the temptation to join the Monty Python team in their four Yorkshiremen of the Apocalypse sketch). Post-race refreshment was usually “heavy” rather than bitter beer or Newcastle Brown Ale, while the officials favoured whisky despite the blandishments of Ba Bru who held neon sway above the Central Station in those days. It did not take long to adjust to the Scottish licensing laws with their 5.00pm opening hours timed to coincide with lectures ending ; this was offset by the 10.00PM closing time , rigorously enforced , and offset by the “carry out”, another novelty as far as I was concerned. After a few months I was able to appreciate Stanley Baxter’s ” Parliamo Glasgow” and could even discern some of the regional variations in accent.

John Myatt, Willie Diverty and Gareth Bryan-Jones

By 1966 the athletic club at Strathclyde had a cross country and an athletics section and ,like the University itself, they were in their infancy and were derived from the Royal College of Science and Technology .Joe Walker was the founding father aided by such as Alex Johnston and the Toms: McGrenary and Gallagher, all of whom were established club runners. They passed the baton to Dave Condie, Bobby Lochhead, Roger Sandilands, George McIvor and Ronnie Morrison by the time I showed up. The older universities had well established clubs and traditions with Hares and Hounds in the Oxbridge manner rather than cross country sections and were an established force in the running world. Edinburgh at this time were pre-eminent in cross country and road running events at every level in Scotland. Strathclyde, as a newcomer to university athletics, was developing its own traditions from scratch. Walter Eadie had set the standard in representing Scotland in the Junior International in 1965 while the founding fathers had developed an active social life to complement the running. The club maintained a fairly serious running stream and an active social stream which met in the bar after races to analyse performance and to plot the downfall of adversaries. There was some crossover between these two streams. Away matches usually involved adjourning to a bar, normally after the race, for a review of results before bursting into song, accompanied more or less, by guitarists Ronnie Morrison and Donald McPhail. The repertoire was mainly traditional and modern folk including Sunday School songs from McPhail’s childhood; like Gordon Brown he was a son of the manse but there the similarity diverged. Sessions usually culminated with ” The Song of Strathclyde” especially if the team from the other place was present. A modified version of this song was recorded by Kenneth McKellar and rumour had it that the Beach Boys ripped off our version of “Sloop John B” ;perhaps it was the other way round, old men forget after all. Just for the record no bawdy songs featured in the repertoire, this being left to the plumbers in the Union beer bar.

Also new to me was the first claim issue whereby rather than running “first claim” for the university student members of other clubs could opt to represent their original club in open competition and to run for the university in inter-varsity matches only. Many established athletes, especially those from the Glasgow, area were reluctant to represent the university on a first claim basis given an understandable loyalty to their original club. This conflict of interest meant that the university was denied the services of many strong athletes in such events as the Edinburgh to Glasgow and National championships. Alastair Johnston is a case in point and he managed the conflict judiciously by giving priority to Victoria Park but turning out for Strathclyde in many inter-varsity races including the BUSF and the Hyde Park relay. Albert Smith was a somewhat similar case. Those from further afield tended to opt for the university on a first claim basis eg Innis Mitchell who was already established with Aberdeen AAC and Mike Hall of Teviotdale. English athletes also opted for the university eg Robin Robson and John Huxtable who became part of the “engine room” of the first team along with other Scots such as Bobby Blair, Andy Pryde and Ron Paton who all blossomed, so to speak, in the hothouse of the late 1960’s.It is worth noting that Innis Mitchell and Bobby Blair both joined Victoria Park once they left university where they continued to give good service; other valued exiles from Aberdeen included Kenny Laing and Dave MacFarquhar. The first claim issue did not arise for me as my parents moved abroad in my first year , a case of home leaving me after I left home so to speak. I left Middlesbrough and Cleveland in 1966 and ran exclusively for Strathclyde in Scotland and in races such as the English National.

I must have been a bit overwhelmed on arriving in Glasgow and coming to terms with university life and finding accommodation quite apart from getting involved in running. There were very few English students in those days, single figures in my own year and heavily outnumbered by Norwegians .This was not an issue for me as one was made welcome by all within the various new groups to which I was exposed. Looking back at the training diary there is a gap from September to December and the detailed record restarts in January 1967.During the first term I was nursing an injury which kept me out of the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in which Strathclyde finished a sorry last; not that I would have made any difference to the result which was seen by some as a highly risky ploy to win the most improved team award in the following year. Some training was done and I had a decent début in the Midland District relays followed by the SUSB team trial and race against the SCCU ( best forgotten). There was also a second place to Adrian Weatherhead in a downpour on the HW course and a win in a three way match at Dundee in which I outsprinted Allan Faulds.

It took some time to adapt to training from the John Street and Taylor street gym in the city centre but I eventually worked out some fartlek sessions on the golf course in Alexandra park and longer runs out to Hogganfield Loch .The John street gym was inhabited by the ” Heavy Gang” of Edmunds, Bryce, McPherson, Muir and McCue who came into their own in the athletics season after perfecting their grunting and strutting about the weights in John Street most lunchtimes.

Things settled down in January1967 with regular training and a heavy racing programme including SUSB, BUSF and Midland District Championships. In the BUSF Edinburgh won the team race and the Scottish Universities beat the UAU. I recall Ian Young gave me a word of encouragement as he passed me at the start of the second lap at Parliament Hill Fields. In the Scottish junior championship I managed third place behind Eddie Knox and Alistair Blamire and was honoured to be selected for the Scottish team in the junior International at Barry in South Wales. The International was the nearest thing to a World Championship and I was proud to make the Scottish team, something which had not featured in my thinking when I went to Strathclyde.

Prior to this selection the biggest races I had taken part in were the English and Scottish National Championships and despite the occasion, I found the International a bit of an anti-climax. This is not to decry the class of the athletes present from the home countries and continental Europe but Barry Island in late March was scarcely a destination town and the whole event seemed a bit low-key. The best runners in Europe heavily outnumbered the few spectators who turned out to watch the events on some flat and uninspiring school playing fields. It was not a low-key event for Eddie Knox who won the junior race at the third go, beating fancied runners from England, Belgium and Italy in the process. My own 19th place was disappointing although we did manage third team. The senior race was a great contest won by Gaston Roelants, reigning Olympic steeplechase champion with Lachie Stewart 4th ahead of Dick Taylor, Ron Hill, Alan Rushmer and many other fancied runners. In the aftermath of the race some of the younger Scottish team rather overdid it on the refreshment in what turned out to be a bit of an an exhibition event. The precise details of that evening escape me ,although Alistair Blamire who was present much of the time, still maintains that I led him astray, unlikely as this may seem.

Fast forward to the 1967-68 season where the highlight was, without a doubt, the Irish tour which became the stuff of myth and legend within the Cross Country Team. Queens Belfast had a fine tradition of making a mainland tour every two years and some Scottish Universities would return the compliment with fixtures in Belfast and Dublin. So it was that, on a dark and damp evening of 3 November 1967 , in a scene worthy of Joseph Conrad ,our motley crew made their way on foot along the Broomielaw to embark on the Burns and Laird overnight ferry to Belfast with strong first and second teams including some seasoned drinkers with “Fat Ronnie” Morrison( no irony intended) and Donald McPhail providing musical accompaniment.

We travelled steerage class which provided sleeping accommodation on the wood floor in the bowels of the ship, no mattresses of course but a thin blanket was available. McPhail had an outbreak of Long John Silver impressions in which he outdid Robert Newton and continued by setting up a card school which included the youngest member of the club, Ian Picken. Ian had just left school at age 17 and, little versed in the ways of the world, had already been christened “The Boy”. The tale of the Boy on the Irish Tour grew in the telling and is encapsulated in the following recent email exchange between George McIvor and Ronnie Morrison. George reminds Ronnie how

“ On the 67 Irish Tour – you and McPhail taking all of Ian Picken’s money before the boat left the Broomielaw must be put on record. He had just turned 17 and had just arrived at University very fit and all shiny, clean and bright eyed from his mammy. He was immediately keen to join the big boys card school (poker). You shameless bastards had taken all his money within about three minutes and he was immediately put into the tender care of Rocker, ” Miss Helena she pay” Thompson and thereafter became his “Boy”. His athletic s career then seemed to go a bit downhill. I recall in the Union at Trinity College after the race” Boy, get 17 pints of Guinness”. As I recall it the results book noted that The Boy was sick against a tree before the start of the race in Phoenix Park. These things could happen when you fall under the influence of big boys like McPhail and Morrison.

As the boat docked in Glasgow a rather dishevelled Boy approached me and sheepishly said ” Mr McIvor, can you lend me a shilling for my bus fare back to Kirkie?” God knows what his mammy thought when he got home.

In the Queens Union in Belfast you and McPhail thought that Sean South should be balanced by a rendition of the Sash, but it wasn’t to be!I do’nt think that we recognised that the Troubles were just around the corner.

Any more detail you can get out of the great archive in the sky would be good.”

Ronnie’s riposte:

“You have been developing this line of events in your mind for years, embellishing it with crap to make it sound more interesting with you as the hero.

I do not remember any poker game but do remember the Boy drinking all the time. Where did he get the money for that? I also remember passing out on deck as we passed Ailsa Craig. I also think it was Rocker that was sick. I recall stepping over him and a Donore harrier saying ” Oh my God” “

The account by McIvor fits my own recollection, bearing in mind that I abstained from drink and cards until after the race in Belfast. The weekend was a great success in that we won both matches and provided the individual winner in each case. I took advantage of the muddy course at Queens with Alastair Johnson in second place. The positions were reversed at Trinity where the flat, dry course in Phoenix Park suited him better and he had the faster aggregate time over the two races. As for the Boy I was told by Rocker Thompson that he was thrown of the bus at Lenzie on his return being short of thrupence to pay for the full journey to Kirkie. According to the record book, which sadly disappeared in the 1980’s, it was Rocker who was sick over a tree before the start of the race in Phoenix park.

Despite, or because of, the trauma of the Irish Tour the Boy became a regular first team runner, winning the Scottish Youths title in 1968 and representing Scotland in the Junior International in 1969 but sadly seemed to fade out of athletics after he left university.

A final tale concerns the Rowlands and Winpenny Trophy at Durham in 1968 when the Boy allowed himself to be set up against Edinburgh’s Judy Dry to down a pint in one. The smart money was on Judy , a hockey player and hurdler who had lots of match practice at downing pints and she duly trounced the Boy in a fair competition. After the match he admitted to me that he had some doubts about his ability to down a pint in one and as part of his warm up had nipped into an adjacent bar in Dunelm House where he successfully downed a pint in one; without any suggestion of sour grapes he ruefully concluded that this may have adversely affected his own performance.

A final note on the Irish Tour concerns the minute of a meeting of Glasgow University Hares and Hounds in 1968 when the possibility of joining Strathclyde was mooted.Willie Diverty counselled against taking part as he felt that

“ Strathclyde has a disreputable element and the tour might disintegrate into a brawl”

The meeting strongly disagreed with this analysis. I lighted on this minute in 2013 when surfing the web and was amused as no one at Strathclyde was aware of this opinion at the time. Had we known it would inevitably have led to an annual award of the Diverty Cup for disreputable behaviour for which there would have been very strong competition . There are thoughts among the Old Crocks of setting up such a competition on a retrospective basis ; sadly Donald McPhail is no longer in a position to collect his posthumous award.

The 1968-69 season was notable for, among other things, my selection along with Adrian Weatherhead and Ian McCafferty to represent Scotland in the San Sebastian International Cross Country in January 1969. This was, and remains, one of the biggest Continental races and it was a case of innocents abroad for Adrian and me when we found that the field included many finalists from the Mexico Olympics 10,000 metres. To make matters worse the course was uncharacteristically dry and the weather was warm and sunny. As a result we had difficulty keeping up with the leaders and even Ian McCafferty opted out of the clogging match up front, finishing comfortably in 12th place with a time of 31.43.Adrian was 31st in 33.23 and I finished 28th in 33.12; we both had the privilege of being taken by Bill Adcocks , 25th in 33.02, in the final 400 metres. The race result was : Mike Tagg 30.49, Mariano Haro 30.54 Tim Johnston 30.57; other notable athletes : Mamo Wolde 7th in 31.33,Mohammed Gammoudi 8 th in 31.35. It was a great experience to take part in such a race, the first of many in Scottish senior colours. On arriving back home we were met by Ewan Murray who needed a replacement for a race in Tunis the following week. Ian McCafferty being unavailable the honour went to me even though this meant missing the BUSF on the same day. The San Sebastian experience was good preparation for racing on the sandy Tunis racecourse along with Gareth Bryan Jones and Jim Wright ( Tipton and EAC) in Le Cross des Capitales. We were billed as representing Glasgow according to the official programme, something which suited team manager Willie Diverty. This turned out to be a fast race on a hard surface with a few hurdles for Gareth’s benefit. The race was won by Alan Blinston 23.18 from local hero Mohammed Gammoudi 23.22 and Roy Fowler was 4th in 23.25. The Scottish team was third : Jim 5 th 23.32, Gareth 8th 23.54 ,yours truly 9th in 23.57.

Scottish Universities Championships at Strathclydech saw us winning the Midland District and Scottish Universities Championships in 1970. During this period we competed in the Hyde Park Relays, taking third place in 1969 and even fielded a team in the English National at Blackpool in 1970. This was notable for Murray McNaught’s famous start which put him in the leading bunch after 400 yards, as shown on the cover of Athletics Weekly. In the same year we also took part in the Ingleton Fell race organised by Lancaster University. Apart from the fun of the race the hard part was getting back to Glasgow on the Sunday as no trains stopped at Lancaster and we had to thumb a lift to Carlisle to get a return train. A small group got a lift in a mini Moke, a 60’s fun car with a soft top. We encountered a heavy downpour and high winds going over Shap Fell which gave Innis Mitchell, who was in the back seat, a monumental soaking which he never forgot. No account is complete without reference to the BUSF cross country championship in Sheffield in 1970 when the cream of the Scottish Universities had a run in with the Sheffield constabulary; shades of Bertie Wooster after the boat race which Dave Logue probably recalls better than I do. And then there was the time , following the E to G relay when we adjourned to the bar with Dick Wedlock….but you can imagine the rest of this tale.

These idiosyncratic recollections may ring a bell with some who were around at the time and were also privileged to take part in university athletics in the late 1960’s. I had a lots of fun training , racing and socialising fellow athletes from many scottish clubs. It was particularly gratifying to be part of the development of Strathclyde as a club which could compete on equal terms with the other Universities. Even allowing for the nostalgia effect and the possibility that subsequent generations are a mere shadow of ones own ,it does seem that without noticing at the time we may have lived through a “golden age” of Scottish athletics in which the Universities played an important part. No use bemoaning subsequent changes, the world moves on and one remains glad to have played a small part in that era.